Through the Years
by Queaky
Summary: MODERN AU ZELINK Zelda bit her lip and had to break their eye contact before she could talk. "H...Have you ever...you know, kissed anyone before?" "Uh." Cobalt blues widened at the question and Link swallowed, thickly. "Uh...no." Citrus Content
1. Chapter 1

_(A/N: Queaky here. So I've not written anything for in a long time... hell, I haven't written anything period. Writer's Block is a vile demon._

_I've revisted "Untitled Series One" because it seemed to be the most popular and most complete... I need something to jump off of so I sat down last night and wrote new additions to this story as well as fixed a few mistakes. I've add new stuff, kept a lot of the old, and practiced writing more "intimate" scences to make them feel more organic though I'm not quite sure if I accomplished that or not._

_Nintendo owns their character, the lyrics to "Love you to Death" is Kamelot's, and I made one mention of Psychosane by Mike Portnoy's Adrenaline Mob project._

_I hope you all enjoy._

:)

* * *

"Li_iiiiiii_nk." A voice sang from somewhere inside the double-wide the thirteen year old called home.

The boy frowned at the blank sheet music before him, penned down a few notes, and slipped his guitar around his back. "Yeah?" He was good looking for his age with captivating cobalt blue eyes and a skinny frame that was becoming less boy-ish and more man-ish. His voice was also cracking which annoyed him, greatly. His bedroom was the only one with carpet which was green but the wallpaper was white along with the rest of the house. He heard his mother's heels clip clop along the hardwood floor through their cozy abode and smirked. "I was coming, Ma!"

"Yeah, sure you were, sweetie." His mother, Evelyn, was a pure blood Hylian with long pointed ears, brown hair that was always braided, and green eyes. She gave her son her sharp elven features and charming smile when he was born, a smile that she flashed at him when her head appeared in his doorway. "Zelda's here."

The boy stood up, making sure his instrument would not fall off his bed, and followed his mom to greet his friend.

Zelda Rayne Harkinian was a petite blonde twelve year old; soon to be thirteen; who was as pretty as she was smart. She had recently begun to grow out her spun gold locks which brushed her shoulders when let down from the ponytail she always kept it in. Her violet eyes took people by surprise with the intensity of them and her pale face made her seem very regal though she was often found grinning at Link's stupid jokes.

"Sup, Zee?" Link smirked, pursing his lips and nodding his head up with an eyebrow rose... something they had been mocking from a recently watched movie.

Zelda giggled. "Sup, Link." She mimicked him which earned them two rolled green eyes from Mrs. Hudson. His classmate had been his friend since Fifth Grade, they were in Eighth, which is when her family had moved into Earth Realm.

Earth Realm was where the Men lived. Hyrule, Termina, Mushroom Kingdom and several other fantastical lands had torn down their barriers keeping them from Man and had been living harmoniously ever since... it was now 300 years since then but it was still a much talked about event.

Zelda was Hyrulean and as was Link though that is not what bonded them.

Link had gotten into a fight with another kid named Vaati, a Minish, and was winning until Vaati's friend jumped him from behind. Zelda, hating the unfair advantage, then proceeded to tackle Vaati and earn herself a black eye, detention, and a friend for life...all before her first hour at school.

"Zelda?" Evelyn smiled. "Will you be staying the night?"

The girl nodded. "Yep! Mom says its okay with her as long as its okay with you..."

"We're having shrimp fetucinne tonight, hope you like it." The mother smiled and watched the two tweens walk back to Link's room. "Gods, they are so cute."

Zelda glanced at at her friend's bedroom ceiling and smirked when a sultry poster met her violet eyes. "The Twilight Princess, huh?"

Link grinned and sat on the edge of his bed. "Midna's hot, what can I say?"

"I like her music, her singing too, but when she starts all that screaming nonsense... it kind of gets annoying." Zelda spoke of her friend's recent obsession with the "Princess of Screamo" and took a seat in his computer chair which displayed another symbol of the rock band, Twilight Princess. "_Soooo_...?"

He had begun to fidget with a few melodies and smirked when he found the one he liked. "S_ooo_, what?"

"You, uh, gonna ask Malon to the dance?" Zelda spun herself around in his chair and snatched up his sheet music when he held it out for her to read. "You need a rest in measure twenty. It'll blend better."

Link scowled as if he had eaten something sour. "You haven't even heard this one."

"Just sayin'." Zelda shrugged, gave him the paper back, and sighed. "Are you even going?"

"To the dance?"

"Duh." Zelda laughed. "Malon's been yapping my ear off for the last two weeks about this stupid thing and if you're going to take her than I'll need to find another person to hang with."

"_Wait_, I thought you _were_ going." Link frowned, confused by the change of events. "You showed me the tickets and everything!"

Zelda blinked at her friend. "Why would I go?"

Link's cheek turned a light shade of pink and he shrugged. "I don't know...I thought _we _could..."

"Together?" Zelda blushed, prettily, and bit her lip. "As...uh...friends, right?" The tense akwardness was thick enough that one could easily imagine cutting it with a knife.

Link stopped playing his acoustic guitar and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I...um... sure. Well, if you wanted."

"Dude, yeah, it'd be fun." Zelda's grin broke the tension and she laughed. "Malon is going to be _so_ pissed!"

"Zelda!" Eveyln's voice was heard with a mother's warning tone. "Don't say pissed."

"Sorry!"

Link smirked, feeling most pleased with knowing Zelda would be attending the Fall Dance with him, and lifted his instrument back up to continue playing. "Pissed." He whispered, making Zelda giggle. "_Momma,_" He half sang. "_hates the word pisssssed._"

Zelda rolled her eyes and slithered from her chair to walk to Link's closet. She opened the door, pushed past his clothes, and snatched her own guitar which she had bought at a pawn shop a week earlier. "Alrighty, you were teaching me chords."

"Do you remember any of them?"

Zelda grinned. "Nope."

"Alright, scoot closer then and we'll start from the begining."

They played for an hour before Evelyn called them to dinner which almost ended in disaster when the oven burner caught fire. Flames extingushed, food consumed, the children slipped away and ended up staying awak late into the night talking about the video games they wanted, new bands they found, and also the offer Zelda had recieved about skipping grades. The soon to be thirteen year old had been given the option to ascend to the 10th grade, maybe higher, but the girl had serious doubts on whether she would really benefit for she would be stuffed into a classroom with people several years older than her who would most likealy find her annoying.

"You would have the whole world open to you though!" Link smiled, proud of her, then plucked a few hairs from his head so that he could drag a piece across Zelda's arm. He laughed when she glared at him. "You deserve it though... you're the smartest girl I know."

"That's what _everyone_ keeps saying... and thanks." Zelda huffed, her head crashing back on Link's pillow. They often laid next to each other on his bed when they talked and although Evelyn hated the thought of it, there was little she could do to stop them at 2 A.M in the morning. "I...I just want to be a normal kid who graduates or whatever with her friends... I want to learn the guitar and be in a rock band, go to the stupid school's dance, and pour punch on Marin's new dress."

Link smirked, slipping his fingers through hers. "You can still do all of that, Zee."

Zelda blushed. "I want my best friend there..." She sighed and squeezed his hand. "I want to be able to throw my hat up and have you there next to me doing the same. I want Malon to blow everyone out of the water during the talent show and not have to worry about some 12th grade teacher's test... I don't want to be some smart thirteen year old who's in college while everyone is on summer break..."

"Then don't do it." Link smiled.

"My parents..."

"Will understand if you tell them everything you just told me."

Zelda bit her lip, confused and afraid of the morning, and shifted. "You always make everything sound easy." Zelda scooted down so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

The thirteen year old laughed. "Sorry?"

"Hey, Link?"

He glanced at her and they both smiled, softly, at each other. "Yeah?" Link felt his own face heat up with a blush when Zelda's crimsoned so much. "Come on, Zee, you're making me nervous here..."

Zelda bit her lip and had to break their eye contact before she could talk. "H...Have you ever...you know, kissed anyone before?"

"Uh." Cobalt blues widened at the question and Link swallowed, thickly. "Uh...no."

"Have... you ever wanted to?" Zelda hid her face in Link's chest. "You know, what, don't answer anymore of my-"

"Yeah."

Zelda looked up and chewed the bottom of her lip. "W-Who?"

Link coud feel the warmth radiating off of both their faces as he took a breath to answer. "W-Well... I... um, well..."

A large clatter came from Evelyn's bedroom. "KIDS GO TO BED!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Wake up! Happy Saturday!" Evelyn laughed, bursting into her son's room with a small squirt gun filled with cold water. A few squirts into their faces and they were blubbering into conciousness.

"Mom!" Link glared and tossed a pillow at his mother's fleeting form. "A happy saturday would be one I can sleep through!" He collapsed back on the bed and jumped when the sound of Zelda hitting the floor clattered next to him. "Holy crap, Zelda, are you alright?"

The girl blew her bangs out of her face and leaned up onto her elbows then laughed. "As long as what I am smelling is bacon than I'm alright." She pulled herself up and glanced at Link's nightstand then rose a brow. "Hey, Link?"

"Yeah?" The thirteen year old frowned at a piece of crust he had rubbed out of his eye then turned his attention to his friend.

"What's that?" Pale fingers pointed to a piece of paper with a couple of doodles on it.

The paper is snatched up from the table and thrown into the trash before Zelda can grab it. "Ideas... but, uh, nothing...good." Link opened his mouth to ask Zelda about their conversation last night but she broke through and he lost courage.

"Whatever, man."She grabbed his pillow, gave him a mischevious grin, and slammed him in the face with it. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat!"

Link rolled off his bed after his friend, hands swiping at her shirt before him, and soon they were both skidding to a stop in the Hudson's small but cozy kitchen. Eveyln smiled at the two and pointed to the grits, bisquits, bacon, and eggs on the table. "Go on. Dig in."

Link picked up a sizzling stip of pork but found that his teeth clamped down on air. "Hey." He threw a glare at his friend then returned her "favor" by stealing a piece from her own plate.

"So, did you guys finish up that little melody last night?" Evelyn smiled and sat across from her son, tucking a few strands of blonde hair behind her pointed ears.

"Ye-"

"Zelda, don't talk with your mouth full, please."

The girl gulped down her food with a glass of soda then wiped her mouth. "Sorry, Mrs. Hudson-"

"Evie."

"_Evie_." Zelda corrected with a blush. "But, yeah, we did. You should hear it!"

Link frowned at his friend and shook his head, furiously. "No. It's not ready."

"You're a perfectionist." Zelda countered, poking her friend in his ribs.

The children agrued over whether Link's new song was ready to be heard for a long time after that but eventually Link won out but was forced to promise Zelda they could play it in a week. After they helped do the dishes and cleaned up Link's room, the outside greeted them. The sun shone bright in the sapphire sky and seemed to prophesize a great day to sneak off down the road to Lake Hylia.

The tweens had walked over thirty minutes when...

"Ow! Link, hold up, I-I think I stepped on something." The girl and her friend stopped on the side of the road and sat next to each other on the cool grass. Zelda untied the laces of her blue leopard converse and ripped the foot wear off. Her lips parted, slightly, and her eyes grew wide. "Crap."

Link, who had been plucking blades of evergreen out of the ground, turned and looked at his friend with an eyebrow raised. "What?" He noticed the blood and then the vicious hole where a nail had punctured the bottom of her foot. "Crap." Zelda felt her face lighten several shades as she pulled her sock off that was already staining with crimson liquid. Link placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze, taking the bloodied garment from her fingers. "Hey, Zee, we're only a couple of minutes from the lake... I can piggy-back you." He took the sock and ripped it down the center then wrapped the wound in it. "Zelda."

She looked at him and nodded. "O-Okay."

"You're gonna be fine. The Doc will get you fixed up." Link turned around, bent at the knees, and told her to place her arms around his neck. "Ready?"

"Yes." Zelda's voice was weak but she did as she was told. She felt her friend left her up with more easy than she could give him credit for. "T-Thanks..."

Link smiled, shifting her weight, then began the trek toward their destination. "Its what best friends are for." He pushed himself to carry his friend another twenty minutes down the road before he had to stop for a break. Luckily for the two, a teacher from their school had seen the two kids by the road.

"Link, Zelda! What are you two doin' out here?"

"Zelda's hurt, ... she stepped on a nail and," He helped her slip down from his back, gently, and threw his arm around her waist. "it won't stop bleeding... and the nail was rusty."

The man shoved open his passenger door and tugged his beard. "Climb in. I'll take you to the Doc's."

It took another five minutes before they arrived at the eccentric old man's place on the edges of Lake Hylia. Link jerked opened the back door and surprised his teacher by refusing to let Zelda walk the rest of the way to the house. Blue eyes glared into violet. "No, I'm going to carry you. It's bleeding bad and any pressure will make it worse."

"You're tire-"

"And you're my _best friend._ I'm carrying you." He lifted her up, bridal style, and swept her into the front door that was held upon by the infamous Doctor "Doc" Hylia.

Fragile bones with papery skin were wrapped in layers of bright blue though Doc's weakness was overpowered by his sheer genuis, steady hands, and seemingly endless amount of patience. No one knew how long the man had lived by the Lake and few dared question him when he proclaimed that he had known the Hero of Time himself... though none believed him.

"Vhat haz our dear little Zelda done to herself today, hm?" He chuckled, fingers flittering about like he was constantly counting. Doc's eyes settled on the two children with their pale blue cunning and behind his "bottle cap" glasses there was a sparkle of a knowing.

"I...stepped on a rusty nail." She blushed with embarrassment and settled back on the metal table Gaebora had sat her on due to Link's suddenly weak limbs.

Doc unwrapped the wound, gently, and chuckled. "From sudden grace to quite ze clutz." He murmured beneath his breath.

Zelda frowned and glanced at Link who gave her a reassurring smile. "Is it bad?"

"Bad? No, my dear, no... but you should try to be more careful in ze future ...yes?"

"Yeah."

It took no time for the girl's wound to be cleaned, given a small stitch, wrapped with clean gauze, and for a Tetanus shot to be administered. Gaebora was happy to drive the two tweens home after Zelda gave Doc her mother's information though the old man was reluctant to ask for any payment. They were dropped off at Link's house where Sandra, Zelda's mother, awaited.

A great fuss was made over their little "stunt" though their sneaking over to the Lake was common place. When the mothers were finished chasizing their children, they all said goodbye, and the Harkinians left.

On the ride back home, Zelda told her mom her decision to remain in her grade with her friends...

To Zelda's complete surprise, her parents were supportive of this decision. They did, however, expect her to take every advanced class that she could get her hands on. She did and even got one class with her best friend who happened to be the second highest scoring student in History for the subject fascinated him.

- 2 weeks later, 3 days before the dance, 2 Days before Zelda's 13th Birthday -

"So, Link, have you _decided_ who you're gonna take to the dance?" Malon, another of Link and Zelda's friends, was a pretty red head with a heart shaped, tan, freckled face. She was known for having more than a slight crush on the thirteen year old but he never seemed to return her advances.

His coblat blues met her golden ones and he shrugged. "Well, yeah." Link scratched the back of his neck with a small blush on his cheeks. "Me... and Zelda are kinda going together."

A long pause in which Malon's lips twitch between a smile and a frown. "What?"

Zelda laughed. "_Relax_, dude, we're going as friends."

Only Darunia seemed to notice that Link frowned at Zelda's words.

Later at lunch, the cute, red headed, golden eyed girl gushed about how she had secured herself another "date" who was born in Termina but grew up in Earth Realm. Her new date was named Kafei who had the odd combination of bright blue hair and red eyes.

Link joked about how Kafei looked like a girl for several minutes which earned him a punch to the arm from Malon's twin sister, Cremina, who was going with Zelda's twin brother, Shiek. Link grinned at his best friend's brother. "Dude, keep your girlfriend off me."

"Dude," Sheik flicked a pea at the blonde. "at least I have one."

Cremina smirked. "I never agreed to that."

"Anyone else smell something burning?" Link grinned while the rest of his friends laughed.

Shiek growled. "Bite me, Hudson."

Link rose a brow at the youth who had a scarf wrapped about his face that seemed the exact opposite of Zelda's though no less appealing."You know, I still think its weird that I know two people who have twins."

"Who _are_." The golden haired Zelda corrected him. She was dressed in a hot pink t-shirt that had glittered letters on it that said: OM NOM. Beneath the letters was a bitten cupcake which was crying. She wore new Converse shoes which she and Link had doodled on and dark blue jeans with random holes in them, authentic holes. "Shiek isn't identical. He has red eyes, mine are violet, my hair is gold, his is almost wheat colored, he is tan, I am pale, and, well, I'm a girl and he _might_ be a boy." Zelda flung a bit of potato at her brother.

Shiek made an unamused face, wiping mashed potatos off of his "Team Buffy" t-shirt, but did not say anything for his mouth was too full with whatever food he had stuffed in it.

Link burst out laughing and stole one of Zelda's fries. "Not to mention, Shiek isn't smart either."

The boy growled, placed a pea on his fork, and launched the tiny veggie. "Don't make me punch you, Hudson." Shiek balled up his fist which were decorated with several silver rings shaped like dragons which matched the silver chains hanging from his jeans.

"I'd like to see you try!" Link grinned, chomping down on the green missile that he had caught.

Malon smiled, while fluttering her long lashes, at the thrteen year old who was dressed in a black band Tee, a green hoodie with the Royal Symbol on it, slightly baggie jeans, and brown combat boots. "Link would definatly win."

Zelda rolled her eyes, knowing that Malon was only saying that because she had a crush on the boy. "My brother is faster than Link but Link is stronger so it is up in the air who would win."

"Way to take my side, Sis." Shiek grumbled.

"What is it that Mom says? Oh, yeah." Zelda cleared her throat and then continued in a horrible mimick of her mother's voice. "I love you both just the same."

Lunch ended and a loud bell sent the tweens to their respective classes. Some girls were signed out early to go buy their dresses for their first "real" dance but other than that all things went along normally... too normally.

Gym was the last day of class and the only one where Zelda did not have any of her friends, close or otherwise. She was not afraid of being alone... it was _who_ she was scared of being alone with. She gave her teacher a note explaining the wound on her foot and how she was going to take it easy that day then turned to go change in the locker room.

"Well, well, despite being flater than a table top, it seems our sweet, little Zelda has secured the cutest guy in school." Marin stood in her fourteen year old, blooming beauty with her hands propped on her hips. Curling, auburn hair with indigo eyes and full lips that were infamous in the school.

Zelda slipped her plain white t-shirt on and finished tying her drawstrings on her shorts. "I may be flat but," She brushed past the girl on her way out and smirked. "at least I've never been _flat on my back_."

Marin growled and lunged. The girls toppled out onto the gym floor, rolling with hair flying, and arms swinging. The fourteen year old grabbed a fistful of golden locks and jerked, pulling out several strands. The other students were chanting names and "fight" by then but just before the teacher arrived to break up the brawl...

Zelda landed a strong right hook to her tormentor's jaw. Marin fell back with a cry and looked at her with indigo eyes wide. Zelda stood up, glared, and walked away. "I'll be in the office." The girls spent the rest of the period glaring at each other... Zelda was just happy her stitched hadn't popped.

When the final bell rang, signaling for the bus riders, Zelda dashed out of the school. "Malon!"

"Zelda, did you really get into a fight?" The Lon Lon Ranch heiress screamed from the bus window. "And did you really win?"

"Yeah! And guess what else?"

"That's so AWESOME!" Malon laughed. "What!"

"Marin won't be coming to the dance!" Zelda felt like doing a backflip for the lovely island girl had been especially cruel to her ever since she first moved.

Marin had a knack for picking up on the golden headed girl's esteem issues and pursued them till it hurt. Her friends just believed that Marin was mean and deserved Zelda's hatred. The fight was a culmination of all those cruelties and, to Zelda's disbelief, Marin was suspended... but Zelda was not given any punishment due to her defending herself.

"O.M.G! Why?"

"She started the fight!" The bell rang again and Zelda had to make a mad run for her own bus or else she would be left.

Link glanced up from his doodling and saw his friend coming then grinned. He slipped his backpack off his chair so that his friend could sit. "Best day ever?"

"Understatement! I clocked Marin in the face _and_ didn't even get in trouble." Zelda beamed. "Plus-" Her eyes fell to where Link was doodling and found the name that he had reserved for his future band, Majora's Mask, and also...hers. "Link...?"

"Yep?" He laid his head against the window and continued to shade in the "A" of Majora.

"What's The Legend of Zelda?"

The smile that crossed his face made him seem like a handsome devil. "The name of _our_ band."

"But...what about Majora's Mask?" She murmured, startled. "You've want-"

"I'll make it a side project or something."

Zelda leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him. "You realize that you're the greatest friend that I could ever have, right?"

Link chuckled. "I do."


	3. Chapter 3

It was agreed that the two families would meet at the dance because both mothers were afraid the two children would sneak out before pictures were taken.

Sandra, Zelda's mother, jumped out of the car when they arrived outside of the Gym and jogged over to hug Evelyn for the two were old friends from elementary school. Their children's friendship had only rekindled their own. "Wait till you see, Zelda!"

Shiek slipped out of the car, shaking his head. He was dressed in black dress pants, converse, and a button up shirt though it laid unbuttoned with a t-shirt beneath that read: Ninja. "She won't come out... she thinks she looks stupid."

"Does she?" Link grinned, fist bumping his friend.

"Man, I'm not even gonna answer that... Mom, I'm going to go find Cremina." Shiek slipped away after a confirmation from Sandra.

Link leaned against his mother's car, his grandfather's old Impala that she was given when the old man died, and smirked. "Zelda!"

"I'm not getting out!"

"You have to!" The thirteen year old boy was dressed in dress pants, courtesy of his mother, and a red button up shirt that had a golden dragon stitched into it. He had a jacket but he had tied that around his waist. His ear length hair was tied back behind his head and his pierced pointed ears had two blue studs in them. "Zelda"

"No!"

"Zel-" The door opened and she stepped out with a very unamused face."Da."

She had very little make up on: foundation, light blush, pink lip gloss, and eye liner. Her vivid violet eyes glowed framed by curled golden hair that was bunched up and bounced, prettily, around her chin. Zelda also wore a sparkling black dress that hugged her waist tight and flowed to her knees. "Well?"

Sandra grinned. "See?"

Eveyln giggled. "Zelda! You look so pretty!"

The girl blushed. "Thanks..."

"Now, come on, we need to get pictures. SHIEK!" Sandra called, waving her son and his date over.

Link stepped forward, threw his arm around her shoulder, and both of them smiled for the mothers' cameras. He turned to her, spots blinding him, and smirked. "You do look pretty."

Zelda punched his arm, a light smile on her lips, and rolled her eyes. "Shut up. I look stupid." Shiek joined them with Cremina who looked lovely in a jade dress that tied around her neck. Her bright red locks were situated into a loose but pretty bun. All four managed to escape from the mothers with minimal damage to their eye sight and it wasn't long before the parents were convinced to leave.

The group were walking toward the Gym when a voice screamed. "Cremina, Link, Shiek, Zelda!"

Malon came running up in a green dress that had delicate lace trim. She looked lovely in the color and happy with Kafei captured in her arms who looked uncomfortable in black slacks and a green vest. "Glad you made it... Wow, Zelda, you look so pretty!"

"Why does _everyone_ keep saying that?" Zelda laughed. "Thanks, though, and you do too."

"And Link...wow." Malon gushed, ignoring the offended face Kafei made.

Link nodded. "Thanks." Then turned and waved over his Goron friend, Darunia, and his date, the Kokiri Saria. "Hey, guys!"

Saria was in an azure dress with odd spiraling designs that skirted the floor and contrasted with her green hair beautifully. She also had a white rose tied to her tiny wrist which she was fidgeting with. "My mom acted like this was prom."

Darunia wore black jeans, special sized Nikes, and a plain white T-shirt. "I'm just here." He grinned. "Whoa. Zelda. Dude. Hey, chick, heard about the fight. Up high!" The two high fived then turned when Saria laughed.

"Personally, I feel like we're all overdressed...well, except Darunia."

The Goron chuckled but made no comment.

"So, are we waiting on anyone else?" Zelda asked, popping her back, and sticking her arm casually through Link's.

Link shrugged, slightly blushing. "Uh, I don't think so unless Mario and Peach wanted to m-"

"They're already inside." Malon hitched a thumb to the entrance. "Let's go party!" She grabbed Kafei's hand and giggled, racing toward the entrance.

Dim lighting, confettii on the ground, guady banners, and an assortment of snacks and drinks greeted the eight tweens. The music was pumping, the teachers were "watching" but also having fun, and the rest of the students felt just as akward.

"So, who wants to dance first?" Link joked, finding a table big enough for his friends.

Malon rolled her eyes. "Really, this is stupid. Come on, Kafei." She jerked the boy's hand and dragged him along to the dance floor where after a short interlude of both blushing, brightly, they were joined by a few other couples. Including Link and Zelda.

It was later that everyone found out that Marin had gotten permission to attend the dance... It was later that Marin single handedly ruined Zelda Rayne Harkinian's first dance.

He found her on the swing with eye liner running down her pale cheeks. "Zelda?"

"I..." She had tied her hair back into a sloppy ponytail and was wiping at her eyes. "I should have punched her."

Link sat down on the swing next to her and sighed. "Then you'd get suspended."

"I don't care." Zelda growled, shivering. "I saw her come straight at me and shove me into that table." Her dress was soaked with fruit punch and it would have left a large stain but the material was black however that isn't what had made his friend cry... or run from the dance.

It was the humiliation of being confident in herself one moment then being pushed, face first, into a bowl of sticky liquid which caused half of their class to laugh.

It wasn't funny and Link didn't laugh... the first thing he had done is tear Marin away from his friend, effectivly ripping the zipper on her dress and almost causing another kind of scene, then he scooped Zelda up. Zelda had brushed past him and ran out the door... away from the laughs, Marin's smug face, and a _kiss _that almost happened between them.

Aerosmith, a favorite band of theirs, had been playing "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" over the speakers. Marin must have saw them getting closer to each other, zoning the rest of the dancers out, and then pounced.

Link laid his jacket, the one he had tied around his waist before getting out of the car, around Zelda's shoulders. "We can go roll her house if you want."

"I'd rather put a snake in her bed." She pulled it tighter around her shoulders and bit her lip.

"_Before_ or after we stink bomb it?"

Zelda smiled, despite herself. "Before." She sighed and dropped her arms down by her side, rocking herself lightly. "You realize that if you had gone with Malon that-"

"I would have been bored and... and completely distracted by how pretty you are." Link smiled, taking her hand and blushing. His cobalt eyes found hers and his heart skipped a beat.

Zelda smirked. "That was pretty smooth."

"I try." Link brushed eyeliner off of Zelda's cheek with his thumb, blushing, then leaned forward... slowly... and just as his lips brushed hers, a voice broke in.

"Well, well, even _after _I try to stop a disaster it still seems to _almost_ happen." Marin stood in her fourteen year old, blooming beauty with her hands propped on her hips. "So, Link, is the punch really that good or are you really attracted to a pale, white fish?"

Link turned, blue eyes white hot with fury, and he growled. "Funny thing, I only _smell_ fish and I'm pretty sure the wind is coming from _your direction._"

The vulgar remark caught Marin off guard and her face turned as red as her hair. "You_ DID NOT_ just say that!"

"But I did." Link stood, sweeping in front of Zelda. "And I'll say it, again, until every single person hears that Marin Gull is a dirty _whore_."

Zelda saw tears well up in Marin's eyes and the satisfaction of it almost made her smile. Her enemy dashed off, whimpering, and left the two alone. Zelda tugged at Link's hand. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." He smiled, helping pull her up from the swing. Link threw an arm around her shoulders and led her down the street. "I told Mom that we would walk home."

"Funny," Zelda leaned her head on his shoulder, an easy feat for she stood just below his chin. "I told my mom the same thing."

"We hang out too much." Link laughed, squeezing her closer.

"Nah, hanging out with you is usually the best part of my day." Zelda grinned up at him and blushed. "Would you _stop_ giving me goo-goo eyes!"

"Why?" He smirked, winking.

"It's freaking me out!"

"Why?"

"Link." Zelda gave him an annoyed look.

"Why?" He chuckled. "Really...why?"

Zelda blushed. "Because... its... _you_, I guess."

Link smirked. "I've decided that I _like_ making you blush."

"Link..." Zelda whispered, bitting her lip.

"Yes?" He turned.

"Never change." She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, red faced, and laid her head back down on his shoulder as they continued the thirty minute walk home. Link beamed the whole way.


	4. Chapter 4

One would think the two would have ended up dating after that night... one would think it and one would be wrong.

They did remain close friends, however.

Freshmen year of High School started the little group off with very little problems though it was increasingly apparent that Link had feelings for his best friend though he never seriously admitted it. They all were driving...permits or no and all seemed carefree.

Happiness only lasts so long.

"Zelda." Sandra had her face resting in the crook of her arm. Her dirty blonde hair was mussy and her light violet eyes were glassed over from last night's binge. An empty bottle of vodka dripped onto the wooden table in a kitchen that looked like it had been the center piece of a Home magazine. "Someone is beeping." The noise continued and the woman groaned, pressing her forehead against the wood as if it would drown it out. "_Zelda!"_

The soon to be seventeen year old, Sophmore High School and Junior College student, frowned at her mother. "Mom...that's your _phone_." Pale, slender fingers reached over and stabbed a button on the cellular device to hang it up then signed 'Zelda Harkinian' on the top line of her homework in neat, cursive letters. Zelda had begun her insane educational venture by signing up for College classes during summer and winter break. She amazed her professors by blazing through the courses and had earned several awards before her fifteenth birthday.

She could not, however, feel proud of herself.

This was a time of great stress in the teenagers life for her parents' relationship had dissolved into a barrage of angry words, slamming doors, nights in hotels, and finally a divorce... or the near completion of one. David Joseph Harkinian had been found with another woman by Evelyn when she had come to visit. The other woman did not stay with David much longer after he was caught.

That was almost a year ago, Zelda's father left with few words as a goodbye, and it was up to the teenager to clean up the shattered pieces of her mother. Sandra was doing better and was more sober than drunk though there were nights that Zelda had to drag her mother up the stairs to bed. Those were the nights that the sixteen near seventeen year old cried herself to sleep or threw herself into her homework.

Last night, she did a bit of both and it didn't help that her brother wasn't anywhere around to help having decided to help his father instead. This put a rift between the two for a while but they had been coming around recently due to them both being under somewhat similar pressure.

Zelda had thrown her golden hair up in its signature ponytail and attempted to put some make-up on though she only managed foundation and eyeliner before she had to leave for school. She snatched her coffee off the table, shoved everything into her messenger bag, and left her mother half asleep in the kitchen. She had skinny jeans on, knee length brown leather boots, a white tunic with a gold chain belt that had charms dangling from it, a red scarf about her neck, and a black coat. Long gold hoops dangled from her pointed ears and it was those ears that caught the sound of a slightly raspy, baritone voice.

"Zelda."

She turned to her name and smiled. "Link...hey."

Link stood confident in a long sleeve, black, button up shirt that had Celtic crosses stitched in, black as well, and wore dark blue jeans that hid his combat boots. A Triforce neckalace hung around his neck, a birthday present from Zelda, and blue studs were in his ears while his hands stayed warm in fingerless, black, gloves. He had his Symphony X hoodie tied around his waist and his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. "You want a ride?" His mother had finally given him the Impala after he got his license and a job which Link had little complaints about. He worked as a cashier in Buckle and usually bought his clothes during the clearance sales because he had access to the coolest selections first.

"Sure." Zelda yawned.

The Impala had been pulled up to the side of the street and the passenger door opened which meant Zelda would have had no choice but to accept Link's offer. Her friend sat in the driver's side then pulled out onto the road. "You need to get out of the house." He frowned, glancing at the cup in Zelda's hands. "And a _real _night of sleep."

"Can't." She yawned, again, laying her head against the cool glass of the window. "I got school, college, and Mom." Zelda glanced at her friend who seemed tempted to continue their daily argument of how Zelda was handling her situation.

Link turned down the road leading to the Heart, which was the only road that connected every Realm to the other, and shook his head. "Did you even know that we _didn't_ have school today?"

Zelda blinked. "We...What?"

"No school." The blonde sighed. "_So_, when I saw you run out of your house toward the bus stop, I thought that we could hang out this weekend."

His friend frowned and shook her head, sleepily. "I can't, Link. My Mo-"

"_My_ Mom said that she is going to take this weekend off to spend with Sandra. Me _and you_ are going off to be _seventeen _and not home bodies." He smirked, reaching down and squeezing her hand "Got that, Beautiful?"

Zelda blushed, rolled her eyes, and kissed her friend on the cheek. "Thank you."

"Get some sleep." Link smiled, kissing her back on her forehead and turning the heat on because he knew how cold blooded his friend was. He watched her lean back against the window with their fingers still interlaced.

A gentle shake woke Zelda from sleep and it took her a moment to register that several hours had went by. "Afternoon, Gov'na." Link smiled his devilishly charming smile from a rugged face that gave him a Rocker's appeal. "We're like two hours from where I'm taking you and I thought you might want to do a little bit of site seeing."

Zelda stretched out, noting that her jacket was off but not remembering taking it off, and realized that she had not felt rested like she was in a long time. "We are we?" She asked, opening the door and feeling lightheaded when she stood.

"Ikana Canyon." The weather was cool, comfortable, and slightly windy but Zelda loved it. Link beamed at her. "We came here as kids...do you remember?"

"Sixth Grade field trip." Zelda laughed and took her hair down to resituate it. "This is where we met Saria..." She laughed, again. "She got in trouble for throwing rocks and screaming at her own echo."

Link's hand touched her wrist, lightly, and his cobalt eyes peered into hers when she went to tie the spun gold locks back up. "Leave it down..."

Zelda blushed, nodded, and threw her scarf into the car before shutting the door. She took Link's arm and tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart. "_So_, what does Malon think of this trip?"

"She, uh, doesn't know." He replied, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his jeans and blowing at a few strands of hair that had fallen out his pony tail. "We...broke up."

A gasp came from pink lips. "Wait, what, why? When? How?"

Link chuckled and said, matter-of-factly. "What? We broke up. Why? You. When? Two weeks ago. How? I broke up with her."

Zelda stopped and stared at her friend. "Wait ...Me?" Her fingers found a lock of hair and began to twirl it. "I'm...uh, confused."

Link brushed the lock behind Zelda's ear and smiled, softly, with a light shining behind his eyes. "Yes, _you_... I'm worried about you, Zelda. You're never around... you never smile anymore." He took a small step away and smirked. "Malon hated that you would always be brought up when we were together... It also doesn't help that she is really starting to connect with Lon Lon Ranch. _I_ want to explore the world a little, finally get LOZ started up, and maybe break a few hearts on the way." He laughed at the last part then shook his head, an amused smile on his face. "Malon wants kids, I really don't think I do, Malon is amazing with animals, cuccos try to kill me, and then there's the fact that I _always _ tend to be distracted by how pretty you are."

She blushed, staring at him with sparks surging through her body. "I really _hate_ when I blush." She swept past him, breaking the eye contact, and tugged his hands. "Now, _come on_, before you do something stupid."

"Like what?" He laughed, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"Let's just say, Link, that if you try to kiss me then I'm going to punch you so hard that your future children will have nightmares about it."

Link pulled her back to his chest, the red-orange of Ikana Canyon burning behind her. "It might just be worth it." His left hand cradled the back of her head, fingers combing through the locks, and he pulled her face, gently, toward his own. His cobalt eyes watched her face crimson as thier lips brushed, softly, but, when she seemed to give no objection, they closed as he closed the milimeter gap between their mouths.

It was a soft kiss and it made Zelda feel like lightening was surging through her...

But.

She wasn't ready.

"Link." Her voice was hoarse and a barely audible whisper as she parted their lips and rested her forehead against his.

He made a frustrated noise but opened his eyes and regarded her while trying to hid the hurt he felt. "No, then?"

"I..." She stepped away. "No, I mean, yes... but... just...for now." It hurt Zelda to say those words to her best friend and to see the effect that they had on him but she couldn't start a relationship with him knowing that it would fail because of her situation at home.

Link frowned, slightly, and nodded his head. "Okay."

"I'm so sor-"

He held up a hand and smiled, softly. "It's okay, Zelda... really."

It took a few minutes of silence before both could bust through the akwardness of their situation. The weekended turned out being one of the best that Zelda could remember but the kiss lingered in the back of her mind for a long time after that.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of that weekend had been spent at Termina's Carnival of Time which was known all over to be one of the craziest parties to hit the Realms. Link and Zelda managed to muscle through the tension and come out on the otherside still friends... though Sandra and Evelyn had managed to do a little more.

It was the cherry on top of an Akward Sundae.

Link's face was the definition of shock while Zelda seemed to be struck dumb at the sight of their mothers kissing through the window of Zelda's kitchen. It took a long time before either teenagers dared to walk through the door to the conversation awaiting them on the otherside... it took an even longer time before either got used to the idea that Sandra and Eveyln were not only attracted to each other but dating.

That whole year was strenuous on Link and Zelda's friendship but they found solid ground somewhere amoungst the drama even after Marin Gull had let the whole school know that Link and Zelda's mothers were in a lesbian relationship together. It was not Link however that held the golden haired girl back when she clobbered Marin in the face, breaking her nose, it was Shiek. The siblings recounciled, completely, after Shiek and David, his father, had a viscious argument that lead to a fist fight... Shiek realized then that his father was no good and returned to his true home.

Junior year opened up a refreshing breeze... and new opportunities.

Darunia rolled his drumsticks, fluidly, across his drum set and howled out in excitement. "  
_Yeah_, bitches!" The Goron cried, pounding his chest. "We _finally_ got this baby up and runnin'! Whoo!" He was shirtless, wearing worn out jeans, and glistened like a stone after rain. "Yo, Link, when is everyone getting here?"

The Junior High School student glanced up from where he had been tuning his extra bass and glared at the clock. "Five minutes ago." The Hyrulean had finally started The Legend of Zelda after everything calmed down though the infamous weekend had resulted in him realizing a few things about his relationship with Zelda. He was in love with her, he _wanted_ her, and it was growing very apparent that she didn't have the time or bravery to enter into a intimate relationship with him. Link understood it, hated it, and accepted it.

He still was holding a grudge against her for starting to go out with some guy named Jack. Sure, they had both dated before but it was different when she reasoned that her life was too dramatic to date him... yet there she was dating _Jack. _She had been dating the guy for six months to his displeasure.

"I want them here, now." Darunia frowned, shutting down the dark road that Link's thoughts had been going down. "Call them."

"You have a cell phone too." Link smirked, whipping his out of his back pocket and pressing a few numbers.

_"Sup, Link?"_ Saria's voice spoke into the speaker and came with the sound of her latest obsession, The Indigo-Gos.

"Where are you?" Darunia screamed while he began banging on his cymbals. "JAM TIME, BEOTCH!"

_"Did you let him have Blue Potion?"_ The drink had alcohol in it but was also an energy drink which the Goron had, indeed, drained two of... one made him obnoxious and Link's curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Link laughed. "Um...yes?"

_"For Farore's sake, Link! You're an asshole."_

"Watch your mouth." The eighteen year old chuckled. "Where are you?"

_"Your driveway."_ The tone on the other end let him know that she had hung up on him.

Link turned to Darunia and grinned. "Saria's here. You want another Blue Potion?"

"Gimmie."

When the green headed Kokiri appeared she looked like a tantalizing piece of jail bait. She was fourteen in looks though she was nineteen and was dressed in a light green, skin tight, short dress that came up to her thighs when she sat. Saria crossed her legs, frowned her painted lips, and glared at Link with her blue eyes. "I hate you."

He smiled. "Hate your boyfriend not me."

"You're the one that gave him that damn thing." The Goron and the Kokiri had been together since that fateful dance and deserved every ounce of happiness that they found. They had been dragged through the mud as far as a couple could go then stood up, dusted each other off, and held hands again. Saria had been given a new serum that would cause her to age; a creation by the New Great Deku Tree and Dr. Hylia; but so far it had only made her shape more womanly. Saria rolled her eyes and shook her head, smirking. "Besides, I can't cause he is too damn cute when he's drunk."

Darunia walked over to his woman and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you, babe."

"Puke." Link chuckled, dodged a pillow thrown at his head, then returned back to tuning the bass while Saria began setting her keyboard up. "Hey, Saria, did you talk to Mido before you left?"

"Yeah, he isn't interested."

The Hyrulean frowned. "Fuck, we need a bass player."

"Shiek plays bass." Darunia offered, ploping down on the couch that Link had dragged down into his basement.

Link laughed. "A _good_ bass player." Darunia laughed and started to tap his drumsticks on the random posters plastered all over the "sound proof" walls.

"Well, _you_ could always play bass while Zelda plays guitar." Saria grinned. "That girl can _shred_."

"I know, I taught her." Link sighed. " But, I was kind of hoping to avoid having to sing and play an instrument."

Saria blinked. "_Wait_, I thought your cousin was gonna sing."

"Well, Kafei was going to sing at first but he is shoved up Anju's ass all the time and Raven, my cousin, has enlisted in the army." Link rose a brow. "You don't think I can sing?"

"I've never heard you sing." Saria frowned. "You never let anyo-"

"I've heard him. He's really, really good." Darunia grinned then realized that he had cut his girlfriend off and winced. "Don't _hit me!"_ Of course, she did.

The three friends talked for another half hour before true worry began to set in about where their last member was.

"So, um, what's the thing with you and Zelda? Why isn't she in the band?"

Link took out his headphones and frowned. "What?"

Saria huffed. "You and Zelda? What's the deal?"

"Complications." Link sighed. "She wants to stay friends, I want more, and I think it scares her... then there's our Moms... and Jake."

"Jack." Saria corrected though both men ignored it.

"What kind of complications?" Darunia asked, sipping the cup of coffee that Saria had made him though he was barely drinking it.

"She changes the story everytime." Link spun in his roller chair and grabbed his guitar. "I'm gonna call Naburoo."

Darunia grinned, stupidly. "You mean _Nag_uroo." His friends gave him a very dry look in which he scowled at them and their lack of interest in his puns. "You guys suck."

"Nabs, hey, where are you?" Link shot his friend "the bird" with a grin and placed his cell between his ear and his shoulder so that he could strum a few chords.

_"Mall."_

"Its ten... the mall closes at nine." Link frowned. "Where are you?"

_"__**The Mall**__."_

A very frustrated sigh. "Okay... why? We're supposed to practice today."

_"Do I run around bugging you about where you are?"_

Link frowned, deeper. "Yes. You did it the whole time we dated."

A pause. _"Fine."_ He heard her take in a deep breath. _"Listen, Romeo, you're gonna have to call up Zelda and have her be in your band because the police are coming and I'm probably gonna go to jail."_ The cell phone was snapped shut and the call ended.

Link pulled his own away from his ear and stared at it, sorely confused. "So, um...Nabs is out."

"Why?"

Link snatched up a Blue Potion from his mini fridge, drained it, then sat down with Saria staring at him wide-eyed. "Her probation just got broken... Remember why we broke up?"

"You caught her with G?"

Link frowned. "Besides that... you know, she kept stealing things when we went out."

"Oh." Saria shook her head. "That girl will learn one day." A pause in whch an odd silence took hold while Link downed another Blue Potion.

"You realize that this band is cursed, right?"

Link glared at Darunia, opened his cell back up, and pressed speed-dial. "Zelda. It's Link. Wanna be LOZ's guitarist?" He hung up, glanced at his friends, and frowned with an unnamed emotion raging in his eyes. "I am _going to make this work_."

Several minutes later, the blonde was knocking on the door. Link opened it and hugged his friend. She was dressed in old paint stained blue jeans and one of Link's old t-shirts which shocked him. "Hey, man." She smiled, squeezing him once more. "Glad I got the call."

"Where's Jason?"

"It's Ja- Nevermind." Zelda shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care. Let's jam." She poked him in his shirtless stomache and grinned. "Working out?"

"You like?" He winked, hating himself because he knew that it would only make his feelings for her worse.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Come on." She pulled him along, waving at her ''other mom'', Evelyn. "We got a band to get ready."

They practiced for two and a half hours before everyone except Link and Zelda called it quits. The two sat and hanged out like they hadn't done in months.

She threw a dart at the cork board painted into a target and laughed as her friend tackled her onto the couch to keep her from winning. "You ass!" Zelda smacked Link's back and grinned when he leapt up with a pained noise.

"Jeez, that hurts." Link pouted, rubbing the red mark that was begining to form into Zelda's hand.

"Five star, sucka!" Zelda giggled, shoving him off his seat and finding herself following him. She landed ontop of Link and grinned up at her friend with her head resting on his chest. "I've missed this."

"Feeling me up?" Link joked, wrapping his arms about her.

"No." Her tongue stuck out at him and they both laughed. "I meant," Zelda continued after both regained some semblance of composure. "hanging out."

Link laid his head back on one of the random pillows that had been strewn about and sighed. "Zelda, we can hang out _anytime_... I'd like for us to hang out more, believe me, I would." He ran his fingers through her hair. "Hell, _please_, come hang out more... I... miss you."

It was then that Zelda burst into tears and began to cry.

It startled Link at first but it took only a second before he had her wrapped, tightly, in his arms. "Zee, Zee, baby, what are you crying about?" He whispered, softly, running his hand down her back in attempts to calm his friend.

She shook her head and pressed her face into his neck.

"Zelda." He pulled her face away, gently, and kissed her forehead. "Talk to me, please, what's wrong?" Cobalt eyes stared deep into violet ones and pleaded. "Please."

"I... I'm sorry." She pulled away and dashed to the door before he could pull her back... he heard the front door slam and the car start up... it screamed out the driveway.

Evelyn's voice screamed from above her son's head. "What did you do!" Her steps were heard and soon her face appeared. "Link?"

"I... I don't know."

It was a month after LOZ's first rehearsal which had gone rather well despite the odd outburst from Zelda who had explained that she was just under a bit of pressure and had broke. She promised Link that she felt better but he wasn't sure.

The magick that had happened that night helped them secure a place in the Talent Show and, after they smoothed out several of Link's songs, they were ready. The annual showcase was anticipated by the students and teachers but dreaded by some because only a third of Skyloft High School had any degree of talent.

Still, it was a pretty large event...

Darunia was pacing the floor with a large frown on his face and he was about to ask where the hell LOZ's guitarist was when the girl in question burst through the side gymnasium doors.

Zelda came in tight black tank top, pony tail up, Triforce earrings, pink fishnet gloves, studded belt hanging on her hips, skinny jeans, and knee high converse. She had make-up on and keys to her Father's motorcycle in her hand. There was an air about the just turned eighteen year old that screamed bad ass, sexy bitch.

Darunia's face melted into shock and leaned over into his girlfriend's ear. "The hell is up with that?"

Saria shrugged. "Don't know." The young woman rarely wore clothes that showed off her lithe figure, in fact, she was known for dressing in neat outfits that hid her body very well.

"Sis... nice, uh, outfit." Shiek was leaned up against the wall next to the odd couple with his own girlfriend.

"Thanks." Zelda smiled and blushed at the same time. "I wanted to try something different."

"Yeah... good... uh, job." Shiek started to frown and grabbed Cremina's hand when his sister turned around. "Let's go grab a seat, yeah?"

"Alrighty."

Link came walking in from where the stage had been set up because he had been getting everything ready for when LOZ went onstage. He looked up and had to stop his jaw from dropping at the sight of his friend. "Damn, Zel."

She blushed but they were interuptted when Malon came bounding from off stage. She smiled at Link and glanced at Zelda...twice. "Holy Nayru, Zellie, I didn't even know that was you!"

"Thanks, girlie. I only heard the last part of your song but I can tell you did great!" She beamed then glanced around. "Whoa, where did Shiek go?"

"Thanks!" Malon beamed. "I think him and Cremina snuck off to get a seat... or... you know."

"Great." Zelda rolled her eyes and turned around, running straight into Link who was attempting to sneak up behind her to pull her hair out of its ponytail. "Can I help you?"

He smiled. "Take your hair down."

"No." Zelda laughed, snatched up her guitar, and took his hand. "Come on, amigo, we're up next."

Link chuckled, his bass on his back, and lifted Darunia's bass drum onto his shoulder. "You realize that you're gonna blow everyone out of the water, right? They don't expect little Miss Conservative to be able to play a heavy groove."

Zelda smirked. "We're the outcasts, Link, we're born into this world with the element of surprise."

"Still." His eyes drifted down her body and when he saw that he had been caught checking her out, he grinned. "What?"

"Stop." Zelda glared with a bit more seriousness to her voice then usual.

Link frowned, a nagging feeling that something was different about her was planting itself in his mind. He shrugged it off, or attempted to, and helped his band finish getting prepped.

"Alright, guys, good luck." Rauru, the Principal, patted Darunia on the back. He had been one of the judges during the audition and now was a fan.

Link walked up, fidgeted with the microphone for a bit, then chuckled as he spoke. "Sup, everybody?" The crowd cheered. "Sweet, alrighty, then. We're the Legend of Zelda and this is our song 'Psychosane*'." Link grinned and looked at the golden blonde guitarist. "Hit it." He slid his left hand down the neck of the bass and took a breath.

Zelda grinned, evilly, and raised her hand then strummed it across the strings of her ebony electric guitar that jump started the song. Link took a breath, Zelda's energy surging through him, his fingers moved to the notes he had wrote down only a year ago... and then he sang. His voice was raspy, a seduction of Metalist vocals.

Link glanced over at Zelda midway through the song and grinned as her hips swayed in time, her ponytail swinging over head as she rocked out, her slender fingers breezed over the guitar with ease. Darunia screamed about how badass they sounded, Saria just beamed, and the vocals soon took Link back over.

The song ended and left the gymnasium in silence as the other participants, some parents, classmates, friends, and a talent agent all looked on... then they erupted.

Zelda glowed with happiness, hugged Darunia when he grabbed her, then walked to the stage for a united bow. "Well, Link... I think they liked it."

The next day, the school knew what The Legend of Zelda was made of... and they wanted more.

_(*The song Psychosane is property of the Adrenaline Mob project by Mike Portnoy)_


	6. Chapter 6

So much had happened since they had graduated.

Marin Gull was killed in a car wreck which left the whole school in a state of confusion and, for some, depression. The young woman, however mean, had not deserved to die so young and a memorial was held where even Zelda found nice words to say about her.

Shiek was a father to two twin girls named Odette and Romani "Ro", The Legend of Zelda had been noticed by some music producer who's kid went to Skyloft, Saria's serums came through and she finally became a woman, and Zelda... Zelda graduated College and High School then disappeared right after the ceremony with few traces left behind.

Link and Zelda had just managed to place each other back in the Best Friend Zone though Link's thoughts were always less friendly and more lusting. The news of Zelda's disappearance had come just when he was ready to drive over to her house and burst in with those three, not so little, words but then Sandra called in a frantic state. A small letter was left by Zelda promising that she was fine and that she needed to find herself... to get away from _everyone._ Those words stung like thorns for Link but he carried himself well after several weeks.

It was a month after Zelda left that Shiek had burst out, half in song and half in tears, that Cremina was pregnant with twins, no less, over a box of pizza and that they were moving in together. The couple fought, constantly, but then everything seemed to click back into place after they let everything out of their systems. They had twin girls, whom were nearly identical except for one being a blonde and the other red headed, with Shiek's eyes and Cremina's face.

A few days after that, the band finally convinced Mido to join after a month of laying down a few basic tracks for several of Link's songs.

Link should have been happy... but his best friend, Zelda Rayne Harkinian, was still gone and still without word.

It wasn't long, however, before the one person who knew anything decided to step forward. Shiek had walked into Sandra's designer magazine like living room one day and calmly explained what his sister was doing. Zelda, though not raped, had been sexually assualted by one of her two boyfriends that year...it had been only a few nights before the first rehearsal LOZ did that she had weeped on Shiek's shoulder as she told him what had happened.

Link gripped his mother's hand while Eveyln held onto her girlfriend's with her other. Shiek cleared his throat, tears in his red eyes, and continued. "She, uh, she told me that the guy had pinned her down after she told him she didn't want to do anything with him... and he... he," Shiek wiped a stray tear. "he held her down and ripped off her clothes... he assulalted her and tried to... to..." Zelda's twin shook his head and hanged his head. "I can't say it... but it didn't happen. The, uh, guy's dad came home and heard her screaming. Zelda was ashamed so she ran home... none of us where here so she just never said anything about it." A long pause. "That's why she left. She said she wanted to sort things out in her head and that sh-"

Link's voice was venomous when he spoke and his blue eyes were almost white with rage. "Who?"

"She made me promise to-"

_"Tell me WHO, dammit!"_ Link surged up from his seat and his fury was boiling over as he grabbed Shiek's shirt. "_Was it Jake?"_

Shiek swallowed but didn't answer.

Link had gone out that day, found Jake out drinking with his friends, and confronted him with it. Jake had laughed when Zelda's name was mentioned and proceeded to brag about how she squealed when he fingered her...

Shiek, who had followed Link, did not stop him when two solid punches hit Jake's face and instantly gave him two black eyes. Shiek still did not stop his friend when Link broke Jake's jaw and finally crushed any hope that Jake would ever have any children. Shiek did stop him when Link began to lose control... and the twin finished it with a kick to Jake's stomache. Neither were ever charged with the attack though it was probably because the guy did not want to admit the reason for its provacation. Jake moved shortly after.

A stack of postcards arrived two months after Zelda left. The eighteen year old wrote that she was trying to find out what she wanted and that she forgave Shiek because she knew he would tell. Zelda admitted she was trying to get over what happened and trying to break out from her own little box. She had been working hard ever since 8th grade due to school work, helping her mom, Marin's bullying, and Jake... she needed this and she asked that everyone to remain patient and to trust her.

And they all did.

Postcards were recieved every other weekend but the dates and places left everyone in the dark on where Zelda was. She knew they would come for her and so her deception was almost genius in a way.

-A year after Zelda's disappearance-

"Link, dude!" Darunia's voice called from outside of their house that they had rented together with Saria. It was four bedroom, two baths, two story with basement, and had been fitted with wooden floors thanks to Link's handy work. "Food!"

The smell of grilled burgers caught the twenty year old's senses and lured him from his desk where he had been sitting, staring at a letter from Zelda. The letter had come with her usual postcard which was not so unusual...however the letter was only addressed to him. He had not opened it yet out of fear that perhaps his dearest friend had found _the_ one or that she had decided not to come home after all.

Link sighed, put the envelope back down, and slipped out of his chair to go join his friends. Grass crunched beneath his bare feet, hardened up by a childhood of running over gravel, and pressed against his shirtless back, cooly, when he laid down. "So, are you _ever_ going to try the food you cook?"

The Goron frowned, spatula in hand with a sizzling burger on the end, and tipped his Chef's Hat back. "I like this stuff. I just like rocks better... well, really anything with a crunch."

"You're weird, babe." Saria laughed, looking every inch the twenty-one year old she was. She was curvy with a small waist and shoulder length green hair that grew darker closer to her scalp. She had grown only a couple inches so many people still towered over her though Saria never seemed to mind.

Link smirked, suddenly. "Darunia likes rocks in his mouth." He chuckled. "Think about it."

Saria scowled, mirroring her lover's face, and kicked her friend in his thigh when she stood. "Not funny."

"Yes, it is." Link laughed, opening one eye to stare at the two, he then held out a hand to the Goron. "_Help_, I've fallen and I can't get up!"

Darunia kicked a bottle of water over to the Hyrulean, placed the burgers on their cheap, plastic, picnic table, and laughed. "You're on your own, bitch."

Link pouted and rolled to his feet, snatching a pickle from Saria's hand. "You two still going out tonight?"

"You still watching the kids?"

It was a Friday which meant that Darunia and Saria were going to meet up with Cremina and Shiek while Link was given the "privellage" to watch over his "not nieces", Romani "Ro" and Odette.

Both girls were only a year old but it was clear that they had a favorite person, Link. The twins would start "dancing" in their pen when the young man would walk into the room and shriek when he left. Romani was the red head and Odette was the blonde though it could still be confusing if one was stumbling around in a half lit room while attempting to change both girls.

"Yeah, I am."

Several hours later, Link had Romani and Odette asleep right before nine o'clock and the night's ventures had begun to take their tolls on him. He sat down at his desk and stared at the careful handwriting that bore his name... and after what felt like eternity, he opened the envelope.

_Hey._

_So, I'm staring at Ikana Canyon as I write this...and the more I look at it, the more I think that you have every reason to hate me._

_You kissed me here... and you told me that you would wait for me but I told you that I didn't have the time for it, for you... Yet nearly a month later I was dating Marth whose face is getting harder and harder to remember._

_I chose some guy who I barely knew over one of the greatest men that I have ever known... and then I did it, again, and that choice came back to haunt me. Yet, you were still there with your smile even after I was short with you a few months before Graduation. I was mad at you for what Jack did and I shouldn't have been._

_It wasn't your fault._

_For a long time, I thought it was mine... I thought maybe I had done something to provoke him, but, I learned it wasn't mine either._

_I'll never forgive Jack, Link, and I suppose I should thank you for destroying the bastard. So, thank you. Thank you so much._

_I suppose I should apologize for him too...I never meant to hurt you... and maybe I'm being narsisstic here but, if I did, I never meant it. You're one of my most favorite people in the whole world! And..._

_I miss you... I miss everyone, really, and I think that I may come home soon... its just that I'm afraid that things will be different now... because I'm different in ways._

_I don't want to hide anymore, I don't want to be that defenseless girl who was forced to do...things... I want to be free, and I was, but now I want to be home and still have that freedom._

_So, I guess this is me saying...well, asking, if I can come home?_

_Because I can't heal on my own anymore and I need you to help fix me, for my mom to pick me up and dust me off, and my brother to read my mind because... I just do._

_So... can I come home?_

He rereaded her letters several times before he sat it down... Zelda would be back... he would be able to hold her... and that would be enough for him until the time came when they were both ready to be more than friends.

He flipped out his cell phone, pressed speed dial, and placed it against his pointed ear. "We got a gig up in Great Bay at eight. We're catching a plane, I'll get you a ticket too if you need it... the place is called Bolero of Fire." He smiled. "Come home, babe."

It was their tenth show though their producer, Shad, was calling it a tour. Link often found the man highly annoying and had recently learned that Shad was not paying them all the royalties owed... true, it was only a dollar or so per member but they had sold almost a hundred albums since the CD was put out two weeks ago. It was a small number but LOZ was happy with it.

Link planned to fire the man after this show if he didn't confess... which was much more likely than anything.

The young man leaned against the large bass speaker that Mido had brought with them though the Kokiri had not lifted a finger to help carry the monsterous thing onstage. No, the curly, red head had instead walked over to the bar where he began to hit on the bartender who was by all rights much too pretty to be in her occupation.

Saria was playing "Winter Wind Etude" by Chopin on her keyboard while she waited for the headlining band to show up. Her fingers, nimble as they were, danced across the false ivories while she lost herself in the power of the notes that played. Music was, indeed, a very powerful thing.

Darunia glanced over to his girlfriend and a look of such deep affection washed over his face that Link knew, suddenly, in that instant that the Goron would be with Saria for the rest of his life. Darunia smiled when Saria glanced up at him then returned to manuvering his drums where he felt they were the most comfortable... though they would all return to the orignal place he had set them.

Link's guitar had been tuned previously to everyone else and all he was waiting on now was vocal check... Zelda as well.

Evelyn and Sandra were at this gig with Shiek sitting beside the two for Cremina had offered to stay home while he went out with his friends. The three were chatting, laughing, and completely unaware that the Zelda might come home that night.

It happened while Link was in the middle of checking his Vocals...

_"I will always be with you,_

_I'm the anchor of your sorrow and*-"_

The door opened, silently, but the light from the street poured in over her lithe frame.

A corset, black-silver spiderwebs over bright red, hugged her chest, waist, and left her mid-drift just visible enough to tantalize. Jeans, dark blue, hugged her just as tight while knee high black boots covered the rest of her. Golden hair swept down to her waist, pale skin glowed next to violet eyes, red lips smirked, and Triforce earrings hung from pointed ears.

Link's mouth had dropped open and her name had whispered from his lips in a barely audible sound. Zelda had always been beautiful to him but never potently sexy. "Zelda?" He spoke, louder.

She smiled, held up the Rock sign, and laughed. "Hey." There was a moment of pure, utter chaos in which Evelyn, Saria, Sandra, Darunia, Shiek, and Link all dashed over to embrace the woman they had not seen in one whole year. Zelda beamed the whole time even when her mother was screaming at her.

"How could you do that to me?" Sandra wept, shaking the girl's shoulders. "How could _you do that _to _me_!" Eveyln squeezed her lover's shoulder and Sandra took a deep inhale. "Where...did you even get the money?"

Zelda hugged her mother. "I'm sorry... I had to." She took Sandra's hand and took a seat in a nearby bar stool, sighed, then began. "One, I needed to do it and I knew if I told anyone that I would be forced to go the intellectual route and just not go. Two, I needed to be away from everyone to get my head out of everything except, well, my head... and I saved up my money, did a couple odd jobs when I needed, also, Shiek loaned me some too." She paused and untied a large bag from her hip then tossed it to her twin. "That should cover it."

Shiek opened the bag and looked into it. "By the Gods, sis!" His mother grabbed the bag, looked into it, and back at her daughter.

"Where did you get _that_?" Sandra cried, collapsing into a stool next to her daughter who merely shrugged.

"I won it off of a Mask Salesman in a card game... and Shiek, I want to meet my nieces as soon as possible." Zelda then turned to Link and smiled. "Thank you." Everyone seemed confused by those two words but no one questioned it as it seemed a private matter.

"No problem." They embraced and for a moment Link felt like he couldn't breath as he squeezed her against his chest. He kissed her cheek, softly, and whispered to where only she could hear. "I could _never_ hate you, Zelda Rayne Harkinian."

Mido ran out for pizza. though he was very reluctant to do so, while Zelda answered every question as fast as they were fired back at her and it was clear to everyone that the girl had changed. True, she looked the same though she dressed differently but there was an air of confidence about her that radiated from her porcelain skin... she knew that she was pretty and showed it off to an extent, she knew that she was smart and did not have to brag about her College Education, and she planned less. The young woman who had left was very adament about having every little bit of her life planned out... those plans had been severely derailed after her attack and she took control of it by going wild.

To everyone's surprise, however, Zelda did not mention any romances.

Saria jumped on this. "So, did you meet anyone?"

"Plenty of people, yeah, but no one worth mentioning." Zelda smirked. "So, no, I didn't sleep with anyone. Still a virgie."

Saria laughed at Sandra's face and grabbed onto the bar to hold herself up. "Wow, Zelda, just wow."

"Where did you go first?" Shiek smiled. "Because we got so many random postcards from all over Hyrule, Termina... Greece... and, of course, Hollywood, that it kinda got confusing especially cause of the dates."

Zelda grinned at her twin's question. "Oh, yeah, about that." She stretched out and laughed. "I went to Great Bay, first, but I didn't mail you the card until after I sent you the two from the Gerudo Desert... the last was Ikana Canyon, of course."

"You'll have to give us an in-depth story of your adventure." Evelyn smiled, arms around Sandra's waist. "Maybe it could be a book someday! "Tales of a Teenage Calculator"."

Zelda went to reply to her mother's lover when a hand tapped on her shoulder. Zelda turned and looked deep into cobalt eyes. "Hm?"

"So, _we'_re going on in five minutes."

"_We?"_ Zelda bit her lip, excited and near speechless.

"Get your ass onstage, Princess." Link laughed. "I hope you remember all of these songs."

"Link." Zelda blushed, wrapping one arm around his waist as they walked side by side to the stage. "I bought the CD and was learning it this whole time."

"Good." Link beamed. "Because we kinda have very important people in the crowd."

"A critic?"

"Ours Moms."

Some months later...

The Legend of Zelda had been practicing hard since the night Zelda returned and had sent demos into everyone.

Naburoo, finally off of probation, had taken one and sent it out to her cousin but nothing had come of it... unil...

The phone dropped from fingerless, gloved hands and crashed onto the floor with a resounding shatter.

Saria, Darunia, Mido, and Zelda all turned around and stared, curiously, at their singer from where they were watching Nightmare on Elm Street. "Link?" Zelda's voice cut through the character's, Lisa, screams and settled in the air for a moment before the twenty-one year old met her eyes.

He had walked into the Living Room after talking to somone for the entire length of Army of Darkness but none of his friends had noticed his return until the phone had smashed against the ground. Link's eyes were almost watery and he had a slightly unsettling grin on his face. "Guys...?"

Darunia frowned. "Dude, you're scaring me. Stop it."

"Have you ever heard of ProgPower?"

Zelda smirked. "Well, duh. We're a _Prog_ band, Link." A pause. "What about it?"

The words slipped from his lips and the other four members gapped before Zelda turned the T.V off and commanded Link to repeat himself. The next time, Link screamed it. "WE'RE PLAYING PROGPOWER!"

Zelda launched herself off the couch and tackled her best friend. "HOLY FUCK!"


	7. Chapter 7

Zelda clinked her glass with Link's and grinned at her friend. "This is going to have to be my last drink."

Link laughed and sipped at the blackberry wine they had gotten a week ago in Catalina. "And why is that?" Link chuckled. "I thought we planned on getting drunk... you know, celebrating the 100th show and what not."

"Yeah, but I have to drive home and this little buzz that I have isn't really safe when driving a motorcycle." Zelda stood, drank a little bit more from her glass, then turned to locate her shoes when she left Link's hand wrap around her waist.

"Or," He whispered into her ear and his lips brushed down her neck. "you could stay _here..._ with me."

Zelda felt her heart quicken as she turned and looked deep into her friend's eyes. "That is an option..."

"Oh, its much more than an option..." Link's mouth barely brushed his friend's when she seized the back of his head and crushed their lips together. His arms pulled her as close as physically possible to him as they deepened the kiss with frantic passion.

Zelda's fingers swept through his hair while her nails raked, lightly, across his scalp. His own had began to slip up and down her back. She pulled away and took a deep breath, feeling dizzy from the alcohol and the contact, while Link moved his mouth to her neck. She gasped and smiled, ignoring the growing anxiety constricting her chest. Zelda turned his head back toward hers to try and lose herself back in his kissing. Link's hand slipped beneath her shirt, trailing lightly over her skin, as his tongue begged entry into her mouth. Zelda shoved him down against the couch and straddled him, kissing him wildly. Link smiled as her pale slender fingers ripped at his shirt. "Anxious?" Zelda didn't answer and instead began to work at his belt. "Zelda, are you okay?" She pressed her mouth against him and drowned out his worries. Zelda brushed away the material restricting her hands roaming his chest and began to grind herself against him. Link groaned and squeezed the soft flesh of her breast which elicited the same noise from her. The t-shirt Zelda was wearing was pulled over her head, giving both a pause to catch their breath, and soon Link's teeth was grazing over the skin now accessible to him... but her nails digging into his shoulder gave him sudden reason to stop.

"I'm so...I'm sorry." Zelda wiped at the tears, angrily, and made the move to kiss Link again when he stopped her.

"Zelda, babe, wait." Link brushed the tears now streaming, freely, down her beautiful face away with his thumb while he cradled her head in his hands. "What's wrong?" She hiccuped. "Did...I...Did I do something wrong?"

"No." Her voice came out a whisper and she pressed a soft kiss against his lips. "No... I... I'm still trying to get over..."

"Jake."

She nodded and a look of shame washed over her. "Yes... I shouldn't feel this way. I shouldn't be af-"

"Zelda Rayne." Her eyes found coblat blues as he squeezed her hands in hers and smiled. "Stop... don't you blame anything on yourself. Okay?" She nodded and Link pressed his forehead to Zelda's. "Now, I think it's time to go to bed."

Zelda nodded and then blushed suddenly. "Link?"

He leaned back against the couch, hands resting on her hips. "Yep?"

Zelda's face crimsoned and she licked her lips then took a breath. "Is that... did you get...?"

"Did I get... what? Hard?" Link laughed and pressed a kiss against Zelda's forhead. "Babe, you've got no idea how long I have wanted you. So, yes, you got me considerably worked up."

"Wow... Link, I'm so so-" She stood up with her face still red but Link held up a hand to stop her.

"Please, stop with the sorries... You know where the blankets are." Link pointed toward a closet "I have to go..." He winked when she covered her face with a smile. "Goodnight, Zelda. See ya in the morning."

"Night, Link."

A few weeks later...

"Today, folks, we have a _very_ special guest... or should I say guest_s_?" A woman with short brown hair, tan skin, blue eyes, and a soft smile stared into the reflection of a camera lens before she turned her gaze onto her audience in the studio. Daisy Sarasland was one of the world's most prominent talkshow hosts and it wasn't just because she was one of the prettiest. The woman had a knack for being able to beat confessions, information, and secrets out of people quicker than a Shiekah could disappear... and she had caught The Legend of Zelda in her grasp. "Your favorite rock band, and mine, The Legend of Zelda!"

Link came out in his usual attire of a green button up shirt with a Triforce shining over his heart, blue jeans, converse, blue stud earrings, and his fingerless gloves. He smiled at Daisy, kissed her cheek as she kissed his, and sat down.

Zelda was dressed in platinum white jeans, a gold and black belt, black heels that made her as tall as Link, her hair was pulled up, Triforce earrings, her grandmother's locket, a solid black halter top, and a miltery-esque steampunk jacket. Saria had a black dress on that was short by a foot in the front, which came up to her mid-thigh, and black open toed boots. Always the one to undress, Darunia had a t-shirt on, blue jeans, his specially made converse. Mido had quit the band only a week ago for he could not handle the stress of rigourous tour that Link had them on. The other three members took their seats next to their singer and all greeted Daisy similarly.

"Saria! I love your dress!" Daisy beamed, envy in her eyes.

"Thanks." The Kokiri smiled. "Designed it myself."

"Its lovely." Daisy gushed, her eyes turning to the band. "So, guys, you've been on the scene for what... two years now? Did you ever think that you'd be this popular?"

Link answered, shrugging, with a smirk. "Well, no. I always thought that we weren't mainstream enough to be listened to by the masses... it really is nice to be wrong sometimes." He laughed.

"Well, I for one am very glad." Daisy smiled while the crowd cheered their similar feelings. "The Legend of Zelda has broke some records I believe... You have the first famous Goron Drummer, a grown up Kokiri keyboardist who's amazing as well, a beautiful and severly talented female guitarist, and a singer who...well, is very handsome and can sing with passion." Daisy winked at the twenty-three year old and laughed. "You can also play multiple instruments, yes?"

"All of us can, yes." Link nodded.

"I can play the drums and the saxaphone." Darunia grinned. "The drums are preferred."

"I know how to play the ocarina, the piano, and the violin like the back of my hand." Saria glowed with pride. "In fact, I'll have a violin solo in our upcoming album." The crowd seemed pleased with that bit of news.

Zelda scratched at her chin, realized it was her turn, and smirked. "I play the harp, flute, guitar, Saria is teaching me piano, and Darunia is teaching me how to play drums."

"Zelda's a gifted student." Saria laughed. "She's one of the fastest learners that I've ever known... and I bet there are a few teachers out there agreeing with me." The two women smiled at each other and giggled.

Link nodded, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face. "I know, she is, I taught Zelda how to play the guitar... She's _almost_ as good as me."

Zelda rose a brow. "Almost?"

"Almost." Link laughed then continued. "I recieved my musical talents from my grandfather and I have yet to pick up an instrument and have it stump me. I'm lucky, I guess."

"Talented." Daisy smiled, sweetly. "Who's the one who started the band?"

"Link." Zelda, Saria, and Darunia answered together.

The man smirked. "I was originally going to name it Majora's Mask."

"Why didn't you?"

"There was this pretty little girl who I called my best friend." Link picked Zelda's hand up and kissed it, evoking a loud "awwwwww" from the crowd at which Zelda blushed. "So LOZ stuck."

Daisy's attitude changed then, her eyes focused in, and it became quite apparent that Link and Zelda's relationship was about to be dissected. "You _did_ name is after Zelda then?"

"That's what I said." Link smirked and chuckled. "So, yeah."

Zelda blushed. "It was a complete surprise to me."

"Why did you, Link? Did you have a crush on her or...anything?"

Link scanned the mostly female crowd, watching them all lean in closer, and laughed. "I suppose I did."

Darunia nudged his friend's arm. "Suppose? Dude, you had a gigantic crush on her back then."

Saria nodded. "They even went to their first dance together."

The crowd "aww"d and Zelda smiled, blushing. "We were thirteen then." A bit of anger came with the memory. "A girl had pushed me down into the punch bowl."

Daisy giggled. "Oh my goodness, did she really?"

"Yeah. I was so mad that I stormed out of the whole dance... Link found me and he walked me home." Zelda smiled at her friend and laid her head on his shoulder. "He's always been there for me. Call him my Hero."

"Have you two ever been romanticly involved?"

Link shook his head. "No." A pause. "Not saying that I haven't tried." Zelda gave him a short glare at his little leak of information.

"Meaning?" Daisy's eyes grew wide and they glowed with a hunger for this juicy little tid bit. Even his bandmates seemed very interested in his answer for as far as Saria and Darunia knew there had been little romantic interactions between the two though both knew their friends had feelings for one another.

Zelda bit her lip, smiling, and was the one who answered. "We got a wee bit..."

"Drunk." Link offered with a chuckle.

"And...things almost happened."

Darunia and Saria gasped along with their host and their audience. "Do what?" The Goron gapped, eyes wide.

"I said _almost_." Zelda glared, playfully. "_ALMOST_."

Link cut in before Daisy had a chance to ask her next question. "We are _not_ going into details, okay? Just know that we are friends... close friends."

Daisy blushed a bright red and nodded. "Uh, yeah, okay...um..." There was a pause in which the woman turned and looked at her audience. "Anyone have any questions?" Hands shot up with voices attached and it took a while before everyone was calmed down.

"Are you two a couple now?"

Zelda shook her head. "No."

"Not yet." Link winked, earning a slap on his chest from his friend.

A man stood up and Zelda hoped he would be the one to change the course of the next barrage of questions, instead, he made everything worse. "So, did you bang her?"

There was a bit of silence before Link cleared his throat. "Do I need to get out a dictionary to explain what the word "almost" means?" A beat. "I'll answer every question that is thrown at me from here on out but if it has anything to do with Zelda's relationship with me then I will offer you only silence."

His words only dropped a few hands and with that, the questions continued.

After the interview Saria and Darunia did not talk to Link and Zelda... they even took a seperate car home which left the two confused.

"Did you really have to mention our little incident?" Zelda frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It slipped."

"On National T.V!"

Link glanced over at his friend and sighed. "It. _Slipped._ Believe me that is not how I... I didn't want to..." He sighed, brushed his hair back. "I wanted to talk about it, again, but I wanted to wait."

"Whatever." Zelda stared out the window until they arrived at their hotel where they were hijjacked coming up the hallway by Saria.

Their door slammed behind them and Saria's eyes glared daggers at the two blondes before her. "_What __happened_?"

Zelda bit her lip and dodged the Kokiri's gaze while Link snatched a bottle of wine from the mini fridge.

"Guys, explain!"

Link sipped at the glass he had just poured and rose a brow at his friend. "Explain what?"

"You." Saria whipped around and pointed at her friend. "Zelda. Explain."

Zelda slipped into the gold armchair that was situated in the corner of her room and blushed. "Why?" Zelda's room had been the closest and the best place for Saria to kidnap them. "It's not th-"

"Because I want to be in the loop on whether two of my best friends are playing Tickle This beneath the sheets, okay?" Saria growled, snatched Link's cup from his hands and drained the last of its contents. "Spill, now."

Link blinked at his empty hand, frowned, and glanced up at the Kokiri. "Tickle This?"

"Link, I swear to Din if you even smile at that I will punch your face in!" Saria glared, seething. "This is _our_ band too and if you two are going to try the whole dating thing out then I want to know! IF you split up or can't work something out then some shit is going to go down. Darunia and I deserve to know."

Zelda dropped her head back and huffed. "We were drunk... it was after we played out at that club in Fushia, you know, our 100th show. Celebrating and all that... me and Link got back later and... stuff happened, sorta."

"Did you have sex?"

Link frowned, a new filled glass in his hand, and said with disappointment rampant. "Nope."

Darunia patted his friend's back which earned him a glare from both women in the room. "Gods! Why do _I_ always get those looks?"

"Because you're stupid." Saria glared. "Both of you, leave me and Zelda alone."

Link looked up, surprised. "Why?"

"Get the _fuck_ out!"

Darunia whimpered and snatched his friend up, tossing Link over his shoulder. "If you make her hit me, Link, I'm breaking one of your ribs!"

"You're the stupid one-" Link's voice was silenced by the door slamming behind them.

Saria locked the door behind the men, rested her forehead against the door, and sighed. "Zel...?"

"Yes?" The woman was still seated in the golden armchair but the designs on it had suddenly become interesting.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Saria slipped down onto the bed and held out her hands to her friend as if to say 'help me'.

Zelda bit her lip and squirmed but then finally decided that pacing would help her talk. "It was because of... I... We were kissing and everything was fine but things started getting..." Zelda took a deep breath. "Heavier, I guess, and then I started getting scared so I thought if I just got it over with then everything would be fine so I started trying to take his pants off but..."

Saria blinked, taking in all of the information, and looked into her friend's eyes. "Zelda, are you afraid of being intimate?"

"Y...yes." Zelda brushed a small tear from her cheek and shrugged. "It's... not just him... when I was gone... I tried once but that guy kissed me once and I nearly had a panick attack."

"So, you've gone farther with Link than anyone else?"

Zelda nodded, turning to her wardrobe to change into her pajamas. "Yes."

"So, that's a good thing. It shows you trust him..." A pause. "But, how do you _feel _about Link? Truly?" Saria had calmed down considerably thanks from a few drinks from the bottle in her hand.

Now changed, Zelda sat back down in her chair, grabbed the open wine bottle and took a swig of it, with her legs pulled up to her chest. "I...used to think of him like a brother then..he just a guy friend but...now... I...get these feelings."

"Love? Lust? What?" Saria placed the wine to her lips.

"Oh, I _know_ that I love him...its just... sometimes, I want him but..."

"You're afraid."

Zelda nodded and spoke, softly. "Yeah... Link is like a torch, he's warm and you want to be close... but I'm afraid that if we were to enter into a relationship... I wouldn't be able to...have sex with him."

"Well, how did that night go?"

Zelda frowned. "He got my shirt off and I started crying." She bit her lip. "I've never had any _good_ sexual experience but I know that Link has had experience... and I'm afraid that it wouldn't work out if I couldn't with him because of... but I do love him!"

Saria placed a reassuring arm around Zelda and squeezed her. "If you were to tell him that, Zelda, then he would understand... Link is patient and he is also one of the sweetest guys I've ever met... all he wants in this world, right now, is to know that you love him."

Zelda leaned her head on Saria's shoulder and sighed, drinking from her wine. "They call me an International Rock Sex Symbol but sex frightens me... kinda ironic."

"Wanna know what's more ironic?"

"Hm?"

"Darunia is having trouble getting hard."

Zelda glanced at her bottle, saw it was almost empty, and frowned. "We're gonna need more wine."

"I'll call room service."


	8. Chapter 8

Darunia threw his drumsticks down on the ground and shoved a finger at the double sided glass seperating him from his bandmates. "I'm done,_ I am done_, Link. You're being too anual and I'm getting frustrated."

Saria dropped her head against the panel where LOZ's vocalist was mixing together the tracks deemed suitable together with the rest of the song that had been recorded... which wasn't much. Link frowned and massaged his temples. "Alright, man... alright." Darunia came around and the males regarded each other like rams ready to butt heads. After several moments, Link swivled his chair around and raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm frustrated... the words aren't coming for the next track, the next tour needs to be scheduled, Mom and Sandra are on my case about visiting, and-"

"You need to get laid." Darunia smirked, sat in the floor, and leaned his head back onto his girlfriend's lap. "Go talk to Zelda." He grinned. "Maybe she can help."

Unbeknownst to the Goron, Link and Saria winced but neither let an akwardness settle. Saria sighed and looked up at Link. "Maybe... maybe the band should take a break... a vacation. Just for... a few months."

Link frowned.

Darunia glared at his friend. "Hey, now, this is our dream too, man. We're not going to let it go but... but we need a break..." The Goron looked into his lover's face and something unspoken was said between them. Darunia sighed. "Link, man, me and Saria have...we've been trying to get pregnant."

Saria blushed. "You've kinda been a cock block."

For a moment Link was speechless... for a moment and nothing more. A smile spread across his face and he laughed. "Alright, then. Fine! We'll take a break so you two can screw like the little rabbits you are."

"And so you can get some you-"

"Babe, shut up." Saria rolled her eyes and then fixed them on Link. "Really though. She's finished moving in today... plus, a little birdie says that she's missed you."

"It's only been a week."

"Link, its been more like three."

"Bye, guys! Bye, girlies! Love you!" Zelda waved good-bye to Shiek, her nieces, and Cremina as they pulled from her driveway for they had come to see how far along she had gotten...she had bought herself a home, finally. It had two stories, a full basement, four bedrooms, an office, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and even a garage! To all of their surprise, she was done.

She had went out and bought brand new furniture for every room over the last month while unloading what valuables she had from, her apartment, her trip, as well her mother's house.

Her mother, Sandra, and Evelyn had finally moved into together and were as happy as a couple could get. They were thinking of getting married and Zelda fully endorsed it for she had not seen her mother so happy since her father's affair.

It was no longer weird for Zelda to see Evelyn kiss her mother or vice versa, in fact, the young woman found it almost comforting that the two women who loved her as a daughter were together. Zelda knew that family would never falter and was ready to have Evelyn part of hers.

The two ladies had been key in helping unpack though she had spent the last two weeks finishing by herself. The recordings of the guitar for the new song had been done in her mini studio though she promised to return to the main studio as soon as possible to clean them up.

That is until a break was commenced.

Zelda hadn't gotten the news until just before Shiek left and she was pretty happy about it because she was hoping to have Odette and Romani stay over with her more. She loved her nieces and they her so it was a mad house when the girls came over.

The twenty-four year old walked into her kitchen that was decorated with marble countertops, tiled floor, and a vintage looking fridge. Her violet eyes stared at the last box that she had to unpack and sighed. Her fingers slipped around the cardboard and went to lift but stopped when the doorbell rang...twice, three times, then continued. Zelda frowned, annoyed, and cried. "I'M COMING!"

The bell stopped for a moment then started, again, in a frenzied fashion.

Zelda ran to the door, sliding on her socks, and swung it open to scream at the person who was annoying her to death. "The fuck is wrong wi- Link." She gasped. "Whoa, hey."

"I brought you a house warming gift." His charming smile lit up his face and he slipped passed Zelda's body then shut the door with a large, black object hidden behind his back.

Zelda rose an eye brow, intrigued. "Oh?" She gave him a dry look. "If it's another blender than no t-" A leather bound guitar case with her name written in gold was thrust into Zelda's hands. Her eyes grew wide and her rosey lips dropped open. "Link?"

"Open it." He smiled and glanced around her Living Room which was a calm green color with a turqouise love seat, couch, recliner, and a bright white coffee table. Pictures were standing on the mantel that held a picture of Link and Zelda beaming on the dock of the Lake from Junior Year of High School, both were in swimwear while he held her in his arms, another had a picture of her Mother's Wedding day... her father was surprisingly unmarked, Evelyn and Sandra, then there was Saria and Darunia. Looking to the left and right one would also find Shiek and Cremina to one side and pictures of the girls. Link felt a nostalgic smile paint itself across his lips as he llfted the image of him and Zelda off the mantel. "Wow..." He whispered. "How are you-"

A gasp came from Zelda's lips and when he turned he saw that she was sitting on the floor with the guitar he had bought her. It was black around the edges but it faded into a lovely shade of dark blue, The Legend of Zelda was written up the neck, and a Triforce was engraved just below the fret board. "It's beautiful."

"It had to be." Link smirked, putting the picture back. "It was for you."

The guitarist played a few measures of "Fur Elise" before she laid it down in its case. "Do I even want to ask how much it cost you?" She stood and hugged him, tightly, with a grin then went to pick the case up when...

Fingertips grazed the back of her neck and trailed up, slowly, before they pulled her ponytail out. "No." His fingers massaged her scalp and help turn Zelda to face him.

Zelda looked up at him and felt breathless for a moment. Their eyes met and her hand pressed against his chest when he stepped forward. "Link..." She breathed his name, eyes fluttering close, and felt the heat of his mouth brush her own.

One hand was placed on the small of her back while the other cradled the back of her golden head. Link pressed a tentive kiss to those pink lips and felt a shock run through him to the soles of his feet, it was slow, and he savored it for a moment before he pulled away lightly. "_That's_ how I've always wanted to kiss you."

Zelda leaned back onto her heels, having to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him, and bit her bottom lip, blushing. "I would say something witty but nothing is coming to mind."

He laughed and took a step away, a cool breeze seperating their bodies, then sat down on the arm of her couch. "Don't worry, you can always fill something in later."

She smiled, snapped the case shut, and lifted the guitar case. "Want a drink?"

"Puh-leeeze." He grinned, following her into her kitchen where she placed her present next to the stove. "Your house looks great."

"Thanks." Zelda beamed, throwing him a soda. "Saria gave me a few ideas about how it should look but I more or less winged it." She pointed to the bright neon pink dining table. "Like?"

"Oh, yeah." He laughed, cracking the cap of his drink open and taking a gulp from it. "So, Shiek said you made the girls a stay over room." He spun a chair that matched Zelda's odd table around and sat in it.

"I did." She sat across from her friend and burped causing Link to laugh. "I seperated their spaces-What am I saying? Do you want to look?"

Link nodded, shaking his head with a lopsided smile. "I _was_ kinda hoping I'd get a personal tour."

The bathrooms had a very beach-like feel to them and even had tanks in the wall were Zelda intended to put hermit crabs or tropical fish. There was a guest bedroom which Link dubbed the Sun Song room for it reminded him of the tune with its yellow curtains, white walls, and orange bed clothes. The fourth bedroom had been made into a Music Room where Zelda stashed her new guitar with her others, her piano, her flute, lyre, harp and her drumset. Next was the girls' room.

Romani's side was painted to look like rolling hills of green with a sunset sky which she could decorate with the large sticky insects and birds Zelda had bought her. Oddette's side was a moonlite lake that twinkled with real lights when one turned the lights off; her bed was made to look like a castle.

"Wow." Link murmured, staring inside his "not niece's" room. "Have they seen this yet?"

Zelda nodded and explained how the five year olds had drawn her pictures of what they wanted. "This was their Winter Solistice present from me."

"Well, fuck, now I gotta take back those damn dolls." Link laughed. "Over achiever."

The twenty-four year old smiled, rolled her eyes, and tugged him out the door. "Come on, there is still the office to show you... and the basement."

A very devilish tone whispered through her friend's voice. "_And_ the master bedroom."

Zelda shivered and felt him tug at her hand, brave, she turned and met those cobalt eyes she had known for so long. "Don't look at me like that..." There was a fire burning in those blue orbs and it burned straight through Zelda. It brought out lust...and fear. "Link, we...need to talk."

Her words extinguished his passion, instantly, and he frowned then said, sternly. "I can't help the way I feel about you, Zelda, so if you're going to tell me to stop then I-"

"I'm afraid of you."

Confusion, shock, and guilt eclipsed his slight anger. Link gapped. "W-What? Why?"

"I..." Tears brimmed the surface of her violet eyes and she stepped away from him, folding into herself for safety. "I have problems which I think would make it difficult for you to be with me."

His eyes were soft, kind, and loving when he lifted her chin up, tenderly. "I would _never_ hurt you, Zelda. _Never_." He brushed away her tears, gently, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Talk to me." They sat down in the middle of the hallway and he listened as Zelda voiced her fears of intimacy... of why she began to cry that infamous drunken night. When she was finished, he wiped away her tears, and kissed her lips, softly. "I _want_ you, in every way that a man could want a woman, Zelda... _but_, when we go to try anything then I promise that I will be as patient as I can..." A pause in which he kissed her, once more. "I would _never_ hurt you, Zelda... I love you too much."

Zelda smiled, looking into his eyes. "Is that an admission?"

"You tell me." He chuckled, rolled to his feet, and held out a hand. "Come on, I want to see what you've done to the basement."


	9. Chapter 9

_"I'm so happy for you two, really."_

"Thanks, Saria." Zelda was glowing with her own happiness and continued to do so as she lifted a box of Link's belongings to take it into her house. "So, does this break mean that you and Dar aren't going to be at Link's 25th?"

_"The break won't..."_

"But?" Zelda wiped the sweat from her brow and placed the box on the ground near the stairs.

Without the Kokiri even being in front of her, Zelda could picture the woman bouncing off the walls with excitement._ "We've got a check up coming up!" _Saria broke in before the congratulations could start._ "But, don't start congratulating us, yet, cause... we, ya know, don't want to jinx it."_

"You've got it, chica." A pause. "Hey, Saria?"

_"Why do I feel like there is going to be a sex question coming on?"_

Zelda laughed. "I'm sorry, but, I have to ask... how do you two...'get it on'... or how can you even carry the baby?"

_"Zelda. Somethings are just none of your business."_ Saria laughed and then quickly had to hang up to help Darunia try not to kill himself with the blender.

Zelda finished unloading her boyfriend's stuff from her rented truck and trudged back into her house, exhausted. Link and Zelda had only been dating for a few weeks but they had known each other for nearly fifteen years so there was little need to postpone moving in together especially because Link had already been planning on moving out of his apartment.

Their mothers were both joyous and skeptical of the rushed decision but Zelda was quick to tell them that she did not care what anyone else thought. She was happy, really happy, for the first time in a very long time and she gave all the credit to Link.

Zelda smiled at the thought of the man who was currently out grabbing pizza... the man she loved. She gasped at that word. The word "loved" and giggled at herself.

"Whatcha laughin' at, Gorgeous?"

"Myself." Zelda called, slipping from the couch and skipping into the kitchen with her ponytail swinging behind her. Zelda kissed her man on his cheek then grabbed a slice of the steaming "pie".

Link pulled her golden locks from their tie and wrapped his arms around her waist. "No ponytails, Princess."

"Yeah, yeah." Zelda turned and fed him a pepperoni. "So, I finished unloading your stuff."

"You did?" Link stole a bite from her pizza and moved away to see his girlfriend's handiwork. "Wow. I'm impressed, Zee."

"I did the heavy lifting so guess what you get to do." She threw away the crust and smirked.

Link winked. "Give my girlfriend a big ol' kiss cause she's gonna help me unpack all my junk?"

Zelda shook her head and walked past him, running her finger across his back, teasingly. "No. _You're_ gonna unpack all that while I go take a _shower_."

Link pouted. "Oh, now, you're being mean." He watched her climb the steps and grinned, racing up the few she had ascended to wrap her up in his arms. Link placed a sizzling kiss on her lips and pinched a cheek.

"Ow, Link," She giggled, kissing him softly. "What was that for?"

Link gave her a devilsh smile. "Gives ya something to think about while you're all alone."

Thirty minutes passed in which Zelda did end up take her shower alone and Link unpacked a few of his things.

"So, has Dar told you about the news?" Zelda called down while she wrapped her towel about her head and slipped into her nightgown.

"They've got a check up on my birthday. Crazy, isn't it?" His voice came from just outside the master bedroom and was followed by a soft knock. "Descent, babe?"

"Yep... on, uh, both accounts."

"Anyways, he told me that they couldn't come visit because of it, of course, I was totally cool with it." Link sat on the edge of the bed which he and Zelda had not slept in together, sex or no, though only because both seemed to always be on the run. Magazine interviews, guest work on albums, writing songs, securing tour dates at venues, moving out, moving in, visiting family, meeting with corporations for advertising deals, dealing with their record label, various hotel debts, and all other sorts of mania always had the two on the go... but the last few weeks had opened up a lot of time for the two in the coming days.

Zelda nodded and let the corners of her lips upturn. "So... not to be mean or anything but..."

"Wondering what their baby would look like?"

"...Yes."

Link chuckled, walked into the bathroom, and tugged the towel off his girlfriend's head. "You're secret is safe with me." He ran his fingers through the wet locks and reveled in her laughter.

"I do believe you have a fetish for hair." Zelda flung her head back, spraying him with water, and dodged his attempt at snagging her up.

Link chased after her, swfitly, and grinned like a wild animal. "Just realizing that, huh?"

"I think I've always known." Zelda rolled across her mattress but was caught midway through but not before she snatched a hair tie from her night stand. "Long live the ponytail!" She cried, laughing, and managed a sloppy version of her signature 'do before Link pinned her hands down.

His fingers wriggled up and down her sides, effectively, tickling her. "Oh, ho! So you're still ticklish, are you?"

Zelda struggled, giggling like mad, and poked Link's own side causing him to jerk away with a start. "Ha! I challege you, sir, to a tickle-"

"WAR!" Link pounced her and, limbs flailing, set off a near half an hour war of childish play between the two. Later, Link laid his head on Zelda's chest while her fingers brushed through his hair. "Truth or dare?"

A soft laugh. "Are we reliving our childhood, now?"

Link leaned his head up and looked into her eyes. "Yeah, why not?" He winked. "We had a lot of crazy adventures when we were growing up." Link sat up and placed her leg onto his lap where he proceeded to massage her left foot to the knee. "Remember when we used to sword fight with sticks in the Woods with Saria?"

Zelda grinned. "Or when we caught Shiek making out with Malon because she tricked him into thinking she was Cremina."

That particular memory had Link rolling. "Oh, Gods, I do... She wanted to make me jealous."

"She always wanted to make you jealous... I think she still does." Link rose a brow. "Oh, come on, you didn't see how she was undressing you with her eyes last Solstice?" Zelda felt her face grow warm as Link's hands drifted up to her thigh as he continued his massage.

He winked. "No, I was too busy undressing you... with my eyes."

"Is that what you're trying to do now?"

"Most definatly." Link gave her a sheepish grin and let a finger dance along her skin. "Nervous?"

Zelda blushed. "No."

"Liar." He traced his fingers along the outside of her thigh, flowing up, slowly. "Nervous?" He was half way there.

Zelda bit her lip and closed her eyes. "No." A soft, sharp intake of breath as Link's fingers ghosted the lining of her silk panties.

_"Zelda."_ Link sang her name, softly, and pressed light trail of kisses down her neck. _"Are you nervous, yet?"_

"No." She breathed the word into his ear as he leaned over and nipped at her skin with his teeth while his hands brushed her nightgown over her hips. Zelda bit her lip and arched her back, slowly, against Link as his fingers stroked the most sensitive part of her body through the silken cloth barrier. "Link..." She moaned his name and felt him smile as she turned to kiss him.

The nightgown slipped over her still damp hair and left her just in her bra and underwear. Link left her mouth and moved his attentions to the newly explose flesh. Zelda's hand slipped through his hair and took hold of the locks at the base of his head. _"You're so beatiful, babe."_ Link sang against her skin as his left hand grew more bold and his right slipped under her bra to squeeze the breast beneath.

It was when his left hand's fingers slipped underneath the rim of Zelda's panties that she stiffened up. Link felt her body grow ridge and kissed her mouth, gently. "Zelda?"

"I'm okay." Her voice said yes but her face was screaming fear.

Everything, it took everything, for Link to pull away from his best friend's near naked body. "You're afraid."

"Link, I'm so sorry, it not you, it's me, and it's stupid of me and, I know, I-"

Link pulled her face to his and kissed her. "Shut up, Princess, and listen to me... We're going to take this slow. As slow as we need to... as _you_ need to." He paused and hated how very _frustrated_ he felt at that moment. "Even if it kills me."

Zelda bit her lip, blushing for the thousandth time, and slid closer to her boyfriend. "Link... you're too good for me." She kissed him, softly, and wrapped her arms around his neck so he knew it was okay to deepen the kiss. When they broke apart he groaned.

"_That_ so did not help." He went to stand up when a crimson Zelda took his hands and held him where he was.

"M...Maybe... Maybe I could..."

Link rose a brow and tilted her face up towards his. "I won't lie, babe, I would _really_ appreciate it." Zelda tangled her arms around his neck and incited a moan from her lover. His tongue flickered across her bottom lip and she allowed him in, instantly... his hands treaded, lightly, before they broke apart, once more.

"You'll... have to...teach me." Zelda bit her lip and trailed herhands down his chest but stopped at the band of his jeans where her blush deepened. Violet eyes stared into cobalt blues while pink lips leaned forward to whisper into a pointed ear. "I want to please you, Link." Her fingers flicked his button open and slid the zipper down, slowly. Zelda's face glowed an unimaginable red when she realized her boyfriend had not worn boxers that day.

Link chuckled, kissing her neck. "Keep talking like that, babe, and you won't have to worry about it." He slipped his hand overtop of hers. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Their lips met for what seemed the thousandth time that night but still it felt new to the couple. Zelda wrapped one arm around her boyfriend's neck while he should her how to please a man. Link groaned against her mouth and pulled her closer with his own free arm as she pumped him toward his release.

- eleven days later -

_"Happy Birthday to you, _

_Happy Birthday to you, _

_Happy Birthday, dear Link!_

_Happy Birthday to you."_

Link leaned up onto his elbow from where he head been asleep, face down, on their bed and smirked, sleepily, at Zelda as she danced her way into their bedroom with a rather large banana nut bread muffin. "What? No candle?" He yawned and rolled over onto his back after which Zelda sat across his lap.

"You're lucky I even got up before you much less remember that you hate icing." Zelda bent down and kissed him, placing the muffin on his chest. She then pulled a hidden candle out from behind her ear and lit it. "Alrighty, lover boy, blow and make a wish."

The twenty-five year old chuckled, shook his head, and then blew. "What's next?"

"You get up and get dressed-" He made an objective noise at that but Zelda continued. "Then we're gonna go to Lake Hylia... and around four we'll call Saria and Darunia about how the check up went."

"Now?"

Zelda smacked his cheek, lightly, and earned a scowl from him. "Yes, now. Chop, chop."

"Do I at least get to eat my muffin?"

The day had flown by for the couple who had taken the three hour trip from their house to Lake Hylia in Link's Impala. The sun had been pleasant and had left Zelda with minimal burns to her pale skin while the two had swam in the cool waters overflowing with the prying eyes of the Zora population. A small visit with Doc was filled with an overflow of memories spent in his home getting bandaged up or causing explosions with supervised play.

Zelda laid atop of the car with a towel on the hood. "I'm gonna call Saria."

"Okay." Link sat by the river, content and happy, with a fishing rod in his hand and a dwindling bait supply.

The phone rang for several moments before the Kokiri answered sounding like she had been crying... the conversation was short and the two hung up after a soft spoken good-bye. "I love you guys too... talk to you later, girl."

Link turned around and frowned. "Something wrong?"

Zelda slipped down and sat next to her best friend, leaning against him. "She's pregnant... but something's wrong with the baby's heart."

"Do they know exactly what's wrong?" Dread crept into Link's heart and he stared at his girlfriend's lovely face.

Zelda sighed, placing her forehead in the palms of her hands. "A hole most likealy. It's nothing really serious but..." Zelda turned and shrugged. "Their baby is... _our_ baby too. Same with our nieces... ya know?"

"Yeah, babe." Link laced his hand into Zelda's and squeezed. "I know."


	10. Chapter 10

To everyone's relief, Saria and Darunia's baby was deemed much healthier a month later. There was still a chance that it would be born with a small hole but the doctors believed it would heal up before Saria even gave birth.

To the fan's sorrow, however, the break regarding tours was extended for a year but LOZ promised to have a new album out in six months.

Link had it out in four and it skyrocheted through the charts in days and weeks afterwards...

Daisy's face was like that of a manical chesire cat as she stared down the LOZ group... so much had changed since they had appeared last on the woman's show.

Saria was dressed in a white, cotton, tunic that stretched over her quite visible belly. She seemed content in her somewhat conservative attire and greeted Daisy with a hug. Darunia shook the talk show host's hand in his same old outfit and waved at the crowd with a grin. Link walked across the stage, dressed to kill, in black dress pants, white button up shirt, black pin striped vest, black fitted jacket, and dress shoes. He kissed Daisy's hand and sat next to Zelda.

Zelda crossed her legs and the red, silky dress that showed them off, fantastically. "Hello, again."

"Hello, _indeed._" Daisy winked. "Now, lots of happened since we've last seen each other... most notably, Saria and Darunia's pregnancy. Congratulation's guys."

"Thank you..." Saria blushed and then turned to the camera, suddenly. "And thank you to Mario and Peach for the beautiful basket of goodies!"

Darunia just beamed, ever the proud father to be.

"So, Link."

He laughed. "Yes?"

"Care to enlighten the world about," Daisy waved a finger at him and Zelda and wraggled her eyebrows. "you two?"

Link sighed. "We're a couple. Finally, offically, and yes, we have moved in together."

"How's that going?"

"Horrible." Zelda joked. "Kidding, of course... Link and I have been...

"Fantastic?" The man in question offered with a grin. Zelda nodded. "I really can't complain... I've had feelings for her ever since that dance long ago so this is a culmination of _years_ of ardor. So, yeah, it's great!"

Daisy smirked. "I noticed you skipped around the word "love". Do you love her?"

Darunia laughed. "They haven't worked up to saying that to each other yet. Let's not force them to on T.V, yeah?"

A frown played across the brunette's face for only a second before she continued her barrage of questions that ranged from Saria's pregnancy, Sandra and Evelyn's relationship, Darunia's impending fatherhood, the next tour, side projects, and whether rumor's were true that the band had considered making the break permanent.

The four friends finished the interview, escaping more prying questions, and enjoyed a quiet dinner at Sandra's house but 11 o'clock came quicker than all expected, sending each to their own homes.

- Later that night -

Zelda braced herself for the cold winter air that slammed into her face. Her front door swung open, she dashed out, threw away her trash, and ran back to her door where she slammed it shut. She shook and shivered, sitting down on one of her vents with a blanket wrapped around her.

A cup appeared in front of her face, steam tendrils rising over the rim, and the voice of her boyfriend came with it. "Coats make chores like that easier..."

Zelda looked up into Link's cobalt eyes and took the cup graciously. "If I would have thought about it then I would have just stared out the door for an hour."

"You could have asked me, goof ball." Link slid her over, lifted up the cover, and snuggled in next to her shivering body with one arm about her shoulder. He drank from his own cup, coffee, and chuckled. "You should have got a house in Florida."

Her golden head leaned against his shoulder while her hands warmed themselves via the cermaic cup holding hot chocolate. "I wanted a _home_ not a vacation."

"Just saying." Link chuckled. "You hate the cold."

"That's why I have you to warm me up!" Zelda laughed, slipping a freezing hand beneath Link's shirt.

He tumbled away from her, scowling, and stared down at the floor where some of his coffee spilt. "Vile woman." He mumured, playfully.

A horrible evil laugh was executed before Zelda stood up and took the cup from his hands. "I'll get you more, you big baby." She walked into the kitchen, the tiles were much colder than she would have liked on her barefeet, and sat Link's cup onto the countertop to begin making a fresh batch of coffee. She changed the filter, the grinds, the water, and then sat the pot beneath it so that the drink could drain. "It may take a while I started a new bat-"

His arms encircled her waist and he breathed agianst her neck. "Changed my mind... I don't want coffee anymore..." He chuckled when she gasped, ripping her hair out of its ponytail, and kissed the tender flesh of her neck. "I hate when you put your hair up. I really, really do."

Zelda leaned back against him, heart pounding in her chest, and bit her lip. "Why?" Her right hand slipped into his left as her pressed it against her stomache. "One day, I'm going to cut it all off and then wh-" Link's index finger turned her face toward his. "Yes?"

"Stop talking. I'm trying to seduce you." Link's lips found hers, kissing slowly at first but speeding up with intensity, and pulled her fully against him. He turned her around to face him, one arm holding her body close to his, while his other hand gripped golden locks. He moved his mouth from hers and left trails of bites up and down her neck.

Zelda slipped her fingers through his hair and flicked her tongue across his lips, begging entry. Link backed Zelda up into the counter his hands squeezing her breasts through the silk, red fabric of her dress. "Why keep my hair down when it excites you this much?" Zelda chuckled, nipping at his jawline and jerking his shirt open. "And why do you wear so many bu-" She groaned as Link stroked her secret place with his middle finger. Zelda gripped him as he hooked a finger around the garment and tugged it away, swiftly, after recieving no objections. "Touch me." She whispered into his ear and moaned when he complied by slipping a single digit into her.

"More?" Link murmured, one hand between her legs and the other undressing Zelda's top half. Zelda nodded and the twenty-five year old added another finger, continuing his actions more fervently when his lover slipped her hand down his pants to pleasure him.

"Link..." Zelda whispered his name, amorously, bucking against his hand as he did her own. "I..." An orgasm caught her off guard and she released a muffled cry into his unclothed shoulder. "I'm ready. More, Link, more."

Her dress dropped to the floor, her bra tugged away, and his mouth found her breasts, nipping and sucking and kissing and tasting whatever it could on this newly discovered plain. Link's hands roamed over her body with a brave hands almost reckless in their abandon while Zelda's did the same. Link's pants were jerked from his body as Zelda dropped to her knees to remove the clothing. "Wore boxers today."

Zelda hooked her fingers around them, removing them just as violently, then jerked her lover down toward her. "You shouldn't have." Her voice dripped with lust and want... emotions that had haunted Link's dreams for years before this night. "Don't stop, Link, I want you. I want you, _now_." Their tongues waged a war, fighting for dominance, as the two toppled back onto the cold tiled floor. Link's kisses trailed down her neck, traveling between her breasts, past her stomach, but no farther because she had pulled him back up to her face so that she looked up at him. "Take me."

A single moment of clarity shined onto Link's lustful brain and he shared it with his love. "Zelda, are you sure?"

Violet eyes met cobalt in that single moment of perfect clarity as her legs dragged up his, wrapping them around Link's waist. "Yes. I'm not afraid anymore."

Link took Zelda's hands in his and, positioning himself, gave her a soft smile. "This will hurt."

"Love me."

"I already do." He thrust, hard, and stole away the last traces of his lover's innocence. He waited a moment for her to adjust to the new sensation, a moment and no more, before he rocked against her, slowly... slowly...slowly... until he lost himself... faster and harder, louder and softer, lovingly and violently, her nails digging into his back as he ravaged her lithe frame.

Zelda cried out his name as Link cried out hers, meeting each thrust with a carnal noise, before ecstasy took them to blinding, white orgasm.

Link cradled her on his chest as the smell of burnt coffee hovered in the air. "You set the heat too high."

Zelda smiled, kissing his sweaty chest because she was too exhausted to lean up to kiss his cheek. "I love you too, Link." They laid there on the tiles for a while, content, before Zelda spoke, again. "Hey, babe?"

He smiled. "Yeah?"

"Did you have to be so rough?"

Link glanced down at his lover and kissed her forehead. "Sorry... really, I am, but, babe, you _really_ have _no clue_ how much and how long I've wanted _that_ to happen."

Zelda giggled. "No, I pretty much know _exactly_ how long and how much." She turned her face upwards and kissed him.

- A year later -

Saria collapsed onto Zelda's couch with a groan. "Sandra called. She said Avery just now fell asleep." The Kokiri had given birth prematurely in late spring but was proud mother when presented with a perfectly healthy baby boy who had taken after her in everything except the eyes because he had his father's earthy brown ones. "So, you wanna know what sucks?" She had worked hard after his birth to get rid of the baby fat and was suceeding with stunning results. Saria had almost regained her old form.

"Let me guess...Mother Nature?" Zelda smirked. "I got Tylenol, Midol and I think I...I... I-Oh, my Gods..." Her voice trailed off for a few moments and Saria propped herself up to look through the window into the kitchen where Zelda stood.

"What?"

Zelda dashed over and grabbed her keys. "We need to go to the store, _now._"

"What?" Saria blinked, rolled off the couch, and stumbled up." Why?"

"I-I- I think I might be preg..." Zelda stared into her friend's eyes and together they made a mad dash for Saria's car... for Zelda only had her motorcycle. On the way to the store, they were pulled over by a cop who questioned them on their reasons for speeding...as it just so happened, he knew who they were, so he let them off after getting an autograph... and yelled at by Saria.

They grabbed one of each test, raced back to the car, and slammed Zelda's door behind them...

A two liter and ten tests later, the results were in... Zelda Rayne Harkinian was, indeed, pregnant.

Her violet eyes stared at the plus mark and several emotions were running through her at once. "But...I...was on birth control."

"For how long?"

Zelda frowned. "I've been on it since I was fifteen... severly irregular and what-not." She ran her hands through her hair and shook her head. "I can't be... be... pregnant."

"Well, we have a week before the boys get back." Saria rested a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We can, um, call my doc and talk to him."

An appointment was made, the tests were confirmed to be true, something about how certain vitamins messed with birth control was explained, and there was lots of crying on the way home.

Saria pulled into Zelda' driveway, rested her on the steering wheel, and sighed. "Should I be saying congratulations, I'm sorry... or what?"

"I'll get back to you on that."

"Alright, girl. If you need me then let me know cause me and Avery will be over in five minutes. Five minutes, got that?"

Zelda nodded, hugged her friend. "Love ya."

"Love ya too, Zel." Saria back out of the driveway and began the journey to Eveyln's house where Avery had been brought at some point during the weekend.

The Zelda stared down at her stomache, in the bed that she and Link had shared for a year, and sighed. "I never imagined that I would have a baby... it...never fit in with my plans." She placed a hand across her womb and bit her lip. "Then again, Fate seems to enjoy putting kinks in my little adventures..." A pause in which violet eyes cast themselves to the ceiling and a heart reached out. "Nayru...Farore...Din, I don't know what to do... I'm afraid... and my hero isn't around to help... I need some sort of sign cause I'm freaking out right now and-" There was a warmth that grew beneath her hand at that moment, steady and strong, and it filled the woman up to the brim. Her voice came out in a small whisper. "Thank you."

That next Monday, Link stumbled into the front door, frowning at the step that tripped him, and into the kitchen. "Hey, Bab-eh." He kissed her on the cheek and squeezed her. "Guess what I gotcha."

Zelda turned with a smirk, rose a brow, and plopped herself up on her countertop after rinsing off the last of her dishes. "I bet my surprise is better."

Link chuckled. "Does yours have a little gold bland with diamonds and sapphires?" A tiny, black box slipped from the front of his pants then was flicked open to reveal a shining engagement ring with a diamond and two sapphires on each side of it. "I'm going to take the picture of this little treasure that I found in my suitcase as a 'yes'."

"Good." Zelda smiled and kissed him as the cool band was slipped about her finger. "I would have hated spelling it out for you."

Link laughed. "No, you wouldn't have." He winked. "Besides, this thing has been on hold for like two weeks now."

"I know." Zelda grinned. "I called the Jeweler and asked him to make sure it was a size four."

He leaned forward and kissed her, slowly. "I've missed you, you little sneak." Link turned away and opened the fridge. "So, what have you and Saria been up to while us men have be-" Link faced her and rose a brow. "There isn't any wine in the fridge."

"You can _buy_ wine in Mushroom Kingdom, Link." Zelda slipped from the counter, beamed at her ring, and slipped past her fiance.

"No. I want a cheeriwine, you know, soda... but there is _always_ real wine in our fridge." He frowned. "You're a Wino-o for Nayru's sake."

Zelda scowled. "I am not."

"Babe, you _totally_ are." He laughed. "_Anyways_, what was _your _surprise?"

A violet eye winked at him. "I bought something I think you're gonna like." Zelda dashed off and her feet was heading up the stairs.

Link grinned and raced after her while the sounds of their bedroom door shutting him teased him. His hand grasped the handle, heart pounding from both his pursuit and his intended prey, then jerked the door open.

A cradle laid at the foot of their bed.

Cobalt eyes revealed confusion on a mass scale while the handsome face that accompanied them frowned. "Zelda..." He called out, ponderously. "W-Why is there a crib in our room?"

Zelda's hand wrapped around his waist and she laid her head against his back. "Guess."

"I don't want to." Link frowned. "I really, really don't want to."

"Do it."

"No." His heart was hammering agianst his chest and pounded faster the more he looked at the furniture before him. Link turned away. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Link, sweetheart, guess what happens when your doctor doesn't wanr you about certain vitamins and birth control?"

He whipped around and took her by the arms. "Please, please, _don't_ tell me that you're pregnant."

Zelda grinned, leaned forward, and kissed the man she had fallen so very in love with. "Okay, Link, I'm _not_ pregnant."

Relief registered in his eyes. "Really?"

"Nope." Zelda laughed, spun around, and sat down behind the cradle where their bed resided. "You're gonna be a _daddy_, babe."

Link frowned. "You're joking...right?"

"Link," Zelda held out her hands. "I know, that you think that you'll be this really bad dad and all because yours left you but... you'll be great. I've seen you with the girls and with Avery."

"I _hate_ babies, Zelda." He frowned, stepping around the crib like it was the plague. "Toddlers are okay... and I love our nieces and Avery... for now, but, I _hate_ babies."

Zelda giggled, biting her lip. "Why?"

"They pee and they poop and they cry and they spit up all over you. I remember, Zelda, I had to watch the girls. Babies are a _menace_. They-"

"Will be _ours._" His fiance took his hands and kissed each one then smiled up at him from her lovely face which was alight with amusement. "I _want_ to have your kid, Link... you know, in case you and Darunia die during one of your stupid golf cart races."

"Are you really preggers, Zelda?"

"Yep. Puking and everything."

Link collapsed onto the bed and Zelda threw a leg over his lap. They rested their foreheads against each other and let silence reign for several minutes. "I love you... and I... I'll love our kid... but if I ever seem like I'm going to turn out like the bast-"

Zelda smacked him, lightly, across the cheek and glared deep into his eyes. "Lincoln Nikolas Hudson, you shut your mouth." She kissed him, lovingly, and stroked his cheek with her cool fingers. "You will be a _fantastic_ father."

Nine months passed. Nine months, six hours, five minutes, and six seconds...

The bundle of blankets squrimed in his hands, pink fists shook, while a newborn's voice could be heard wailing clear across the ward.

The delivery had gone well for the mother but the infant had almost lost its life... for hours the parents had waited while the doctors raced to save the baby's life... and yet, even, while he held his son in his hands there was still worry lined across his face.

"Link?"

He looked up, finding his fiance's eyes, and smiled, softly. "Yeah?" Link cradled his boy in his arms and began to rock him though it seemed nothing could calm the child.

"Everything is going to be alright." Zelda squeezed her lover's arm and pressed a tender kiss to the top of her baby's head.

Link knew he should be the one doing the comforting and he felt shame with that bit of knowledge. The newborn released another scream and it tugged at his heart... his son could feel the emotions warring inside him. "Alexander." Link whispered, soothingly. "Calm down, little man, its okay now... I've got you." And how Link was afraid of that promise "I've got you". He had never expressed any true interest in having children soley for the reason that he did want to let his own kids down... like his father had him.

William Roose Hudson had disappeared from his son's life when the he had been just five. William did not even care enough to leave a note of love, reason, or excuse. Just left a boy to wonder where his dad had gone off to because they were supposed to go fishing.

Link felt tears come to his eyes at the thought of that day and how it would kill him if he became that kind of father. He looked down at the newborn that he held in his hands, his own son. "It's alright, sweetheart. Daddy's got you." Link repeated those last three words with as much feeling as he held in his body. "Daddy's got you."

Alex whimpered and opened his blue eyes, _cobalt blue eyes_... and stopped crying... as if to say, "I know."


End file.
